Mechanical Modulation of Epigenetic State for Cell Reprogramming

Abstract: Cell reprogramming into induced pluripotent stem cells or into a completely different lineage has wide applications in regenerative medicine, disease modeling and drug screening. Although the roles of transcriptional factors and chemical compounds in cell reprogramming have been widely studied, the effects of biophysical factors are not well understood. We have demonstrated that micro-structured materials can modulate the morphology of cell nuclei and epigenetic state, which in turn enhances cell reprogramming efficiency. In addition, we show that active forces such as a millisecond squeezing of cell nucleus in microfluidic devices can help overcome the epigenetic barrier and promote cell reprogramming. These findings have important implications in mechano-genomics, and may lead to the development of new technologies for cell engineering.

Bio: Dr. Song Li earned his B.S. and M.S. in Peking University, and had his Ph.D. and postdoctoral training in Bioengineering at UC San Diego. He was a professor of bioengineering at UC Berkeley between 2001 and 2015. In 2016, Dr. Li joined the Bioengineering faculty at UC Los Angeles. He is currently a Chancellor’s Professor and the Chair of the Bioengineering Department with a joint appointment in the Department of Medicine. Dr. Li’s research is focused on mechanotransduction, cell engineering, and regenerative medicine. His lab takes an interdisciplinary approach to investigate mechanotransduction and biophysical regulation from single cell to system level and to develop therapeutics by engineering stem cells, immune cells and micro/nanomaterials. Dr. Li has been elected as a Fellow of American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, a Fellow of Biomedical Engineering Society, and a Fellow of the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering.