Scientists have developed a quicker, easier and more cost-effective method of sorting stem cells using electrodes to identify which cells will turn into specific cell types once they have been transplanted.

The technique used by the scientists, called dielectrophoresis, is based on the premise that different types of cells have different electric properties. Stem cells that are destined to become neurons, for example, have a different electric charge than stem cells that will become astrocytes, another type of brain cell. The scientists discovered that the cells react differently when electric fields are applied. At one frequency, a neuron will be attracted to an electrode but an astrocyte will not, and at a different frequency, an astrocyte will be attracted but a neuron will not.

Using this method, stem cells are purified prior to transplantation and reduces the risk of tumor development or immune rejection. The study appears online Dec. 20 in the journal Stem Cells.

Source: UCI
Photo: Dielectrophoresis device