Editing Fibroblast (section)

===Use of fibroblasts as feeder cells===
[[Mouse embryonic fibroblast]]s (MEFs) are often used as supportive "feeder cells" in research using human embryonic stem cells,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Llames |first1=S. |last2=García-Pérez |first2=E. |last3=Meana |first3=A. |last4=Larcher |first4=F. |last5=del Río |first5=M. |title=Feeder Layer Cell Actions and Applications |journal=Tissue Eng Part B Rev. |date=2015 |volume=21 |issue=4 |pages=345–353 |doi=10.1089/ten.teb.2014.0547 |pmid=25659081 |pmc=4533020 }}</ref> induced pluripotent stem cells and primary epithelial cell culture.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hynds |first1=R.E. |last2=Bonfanti |first2=P. |last3=Janes |first3=S.M. |title=Regenerating human epithelia with cultured stem cells: feeder cells, organoids and beyond |journal=EMBO Molecular Medicine |date=2018 |volume=10 |issue=2 |pages=139–150 |doi=10.15252/emmm.201708213 |pmid=29288165 |pmc=5801505 }}</ref> However, many researchers are trying to phase out MEFs in favor of culture media with precisely defined ingredients in order to facilitate the development of clinical-grade products.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Hagbard |first1=L. |last2=Cameron |first2=K. |last3=August |first3=P. |last4=Penton |first4=C. |last5=Parmar |first5=M. |last6=Hay |first6=D.C. |last7=Kallur |first7=T. |title=Developing defined substrates for stem cell culture and differentiation. |journal=Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B |date=2018 |volume=373 |issue=1750 |doi=10.1098/rstb.2017.0230 |pmid=29786564 |pmc=5974452 }}</ref>

In view of the potential clinical applications of stem cell-derived tissues or primary epithelial cells, the use of human fibroblasts as an alternative to MEF feeders has been studied.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Desai N, Rambhia P, Gishto A | title = Human embryonic stem cell cultivation: historical perspective and evolution of xeno-free culture systems | journal = Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology | volume = 13 | issue = 1 | pages = 9 | date = February 2015 | pmid = 25890180 | pmc = 4351689 | doi = 10.1186/s12958-015-0005-4 | doi-access = free }}</ref> Whereas the fibroblasts are usually used to maintain pluripotency of the stem cells, they can also be used to facilitate development of the stem cells into specific type of cells such as cardiomyocytes.<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Matsuda Y, Takahashi K, Kamioka H, Naruse K | title = Human gingival fibroblast feeder cells promote maturation of induced pluripotent stem cells into cardiomyocytes | journal = Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications | volume = 503 | issue = 3 | pages = 1798–1804 | date = September 2018 | pmid = 30060947 | doi = 10.1016/j.bbrc.2018.07.116 | doi-access = free }}</ref>