M.Sc. Nils Piernitzki

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) receive a combination of biochemical and biomechanical signals within the bone marrow that guide their differentiation process. These include soluble factor signaling with cytokines, cellular confinement in the stem cell niche, and contact-dependent receptor–ligand interactions with stromal cells. Recreating this complex microenvironment in vitro is a principal engineering challenge for regenerative therapies and tissue engineering. While cytokines can be easily supplemented in vitro, and several systems for confined HSC culture have been developed, integrating receptor-based intercellular interactions found in stem cell niches has only been achieved with quantitatively undefined heterotypic co-cultures. We report here the development of microwell-based systems that integrate synthetic cells to mimic receptor–ligand interactions within hematopoietic niches. The synthetic cells are based on droplet-supported lipid bilayers (dsLBs) with cytomimetic stiffness and present Notch receptor ligands on a laterally mobile lipid membrane. We show the system's applicability to individually tune the three signaling axes: soluble factors, confinement, and intercellular interactions for HSC differentiation. Introducing synthetic cells as an alternative to coculture and feeder cells opens the possibility to engineer precisely defined HSC niches with adjustable biochemical and biomechanical properties.