Issue 17, 2014

The role of material structure and mechanical properties in cell–matrix interactions

Abstract

Cellular interactions with the extracellular matrix (ECM) are of fundamental importance in many normal and pathological biological processes, including development, cancer, and tissue homeostasis, healing and regeneration. Over the past few years, the mechanisms by which cells respond to the mechanical characteristics of the ECM have come under increased scrutiny from many research groups. Such research often involves placing cells on materials with tuneable stiffnesses, including synthetic polymers and natural proteins, or culturing cells on bendable micropost arrays. These techniques are often aimed at defining empirically the stiffnesses that cells experience in their interactions with the ECM, and measuring phenotypically how cells and tissues respond. In this review, we will summarise the evolution of materials for investigating cell and tissue mechanobiology. We then will discuss how material properties such as elastic modulus may be interpreted, particularly with regard to analytic measurements as an approximation of how cells themselves sense elastic modulus. Finally we will discuss how factors such as interfacial chemistry, ligand spacing, substrate thickness, elasticity and viscoelasticity affect mechanosensing in cells.

Graphical abstract: The role of material structure and mechanical properties in cell–matrix interactions

Article information

Article type
Highlight
Submitted
14 พ.ย. 2556
Accepted
11 ม.ค. 2557
First published
22 ม.ค. 2557

J. Mater. Chem. B, 2014,2, 2345-2356

The role of material structure and mechanical properties in cell–matrix interactions

N. D. Evans and E. Gentleman, J. Mater. Chem. B, 2014, 2, 2345 DOI: 10.1039/C3TB21604G

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements