  Biomaterials are becoming an essential tool in the study and application of
stem cell research. Various types of biomaterials enable three-dimensional (3D)
culture of stem cells, and, more recently, also enable high-resolution
patterning and organization of multicellular architectures. Biomaterials also
hold potential to provide many additional advantages over cell transplants
alone in regenerative medicine. This paper describes novel designs for
functionalized biomaterial constructs that guide tissue development to targeted
regional identities and structures. Such designs comprise compartmentalized
regions in the biomaterial structure that are functionalized with molecular
factors that form concentration gradients through the construct and guide stem
cell development, axis patterning, and tissue architecture, including
rostral/caudal, ventral/dorsal, or medial/lateral identities of the central
nervous system. The ability to recapitulate innate developmental processes in a
3D environment and under specific controlled conditions has vital application
to advanced models of neurodevelopment and for repair of specific sites of
damaged or diseased neural tissue.
