Bone marrow bioengineering: From stem cells to biomaterials and drug testing

Stem cells are tightly regulated by their direct microenvironment, so-called niches, through biological, chemical, and physical factors. The bone marrow harbors niches for the stem cells of the blood and the bone regenerating systems, with hematopoietic stem cells as the source of all blood cells and mesenchymal stem/stromal cells from which bone cells are derived. Both regenerating systems interact closely with each other. Using scaffold-based 3D in vitro models of the bone marrow, we investigate the interplay of stem cells with their niches under healthy and diseased conditions with implications for fundamental research as well as pharmaceutical or clinical applications.