Abstract: The embodiments of the present disclosure encompass methods for non-invasive in vivo bioluminescence imaging that allow the dynamics of stem cell behavior to be followed in a manner not possible using conventional retrospective static histological analyses. By imaging luciferase-generated bioluminescence activity emanating from isolated stem cells, for example, real time quantitative and kinetic analyses can show that donor-derived muscle stem cells may proliferate and engraft rapidly after injection until homeostasis is reached. In addition, the response of the stem cells to injury and participation in the regenerative response can be monitored over time. Other aspects of the disclosure encompasses methods for determining the suitability of a stem cell for tissue replacement, methods for repairing muscle injury, and methods for isolating muscle stem cells from a tissue sample.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure encompass microfabrication methods (“reactive microcontact printing of soft matter”) for hydrated soft polymer materials and surfaces for culture platforms suitable for the culturing of isolated single primary mammalian cells in an environment approximating the natural niches of the cells. Such culture platforms may comprise arrays of microwells, or other microscopically textured features, in which individual features can comprise desired proteins or mixtures of proteins. The microfabrication methods of the disclosure allow spatial control of surface biochemistry and topography at the micrometer scale on these hydrated soft gels. The hydrogels and methods of manufacture and use of the disclosure allow the isolation of a single stem cell and the characterizing of its interaction with cytokines and morphogens, especially with regard to modulation of the proliferative capacity of the stem cell when implanted in a recipient host.