Bioprocessing Strategies for Pluripotent Stem Cells Based on Waddington's Epigenetic Landscape

Abstract

As increasing numbers of cell-based therapies advance through clinical trials towards approval for use in humans, the need for robust and well-characterized cell culturing strategies is becoming increasingly apparent. We discuss here novel stem cell bioprocessing strategies based on the concept of using Waddington's epigenetic landscape to represent the process of cellular decision-making during development. Specifically, we focus on the manner in which cell behavior triggers cell signaling pathways related to the initial cell fate decision. We also consider how various biochemical engineering strategies can be used to develop these bioprocesses to further enhance their utility in research and therapy.

Keywords: Waddington’s epigenetic landscape; cell behavior; culture platform; culture tools; next-generation bioprocessing; stem cell bioprocessing.