Researchers at the College of Design and Engineerin at the National University of Singapore have discovered that human stem cells can be guided to become bone cells simply by squeezing through narrow spaces—without the need for chemical signals. The study, led by Assistant Professor Andrew Holle and published in Advanced Science, shows that physical confinement alone triggers genetic changes that push mesenchymal stem cells toward bone cell development. These findings could lead to new, low-cost methods for preparing stem cells for therapeutic use, particularly in bone repair. The research opens up promising possibilities for designing biomaterials and treatments that use mechanical forces to steer cell behaviour.The team is now exploring whether this confinement-based approach can also improve healing in injury models and be applied to more potent stem cell types used in regenerative medicine.