Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Trends Cell Biol. 2010 Dec;20(12):705-14. doi: 10.1016/j.tcb.2010.09.007. Epub 2010 Oct 20.
Cells constantly probe and respond to a myriad of cues that are present in their local surroundings. The effects of soluble cues are relatively straightforward to manipulate, yet teasing apart how cells transduce signals from the extracellular matrix and neighboring cells has proven to be challenging due to the spatially and mechanically complex adhesive interactions. Over the years, advances in the engineering of biocompatible materials have enabled innovative ways to study adhesion-mediated cell functions, and numerous insights have elucidated the significance of the cellular microenvironment. Here, we highlight some of the major approaches and discuss the potential for future advancement.
细胞不断探测并响应存在于其局部环境中的无数线索。可溶性线索的影响相对容易控制,但由于细胞外基质和相邻细胞之间的空间和力学复杂的粘附相互作用,分离细胞如何转导信号已被证明具有挑战性。多年来,生物相容性材料工程的进步为研究粘附介导的细胞功能提供了创新的方法,并且许多研究阐明了细胞微环境的重要性。在这里,我们重点介绍了一些主要的方法,并讨论了未来的发展潜力。