Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, PA 19104, USA.
Curr Opin Biotechnol. 2013 Oct;24(5):948-53. doi: 10.1016/j.copbio.2013.03.020. Epub 2013 Apr 20.
The mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in which cells reside have emerged as an important regulator of cell fate. While materials based on natural ECM have been used to implicate the role of substrate stiffness for cell fate decisions, it is difficult in these matrices to isolate mechanics from other structural parameters. In contrast, fully synthetic hydrogels offer independent control over physical and adhesive properties. New synthetic materials that also recreate the fibrous structural hierarchy of natural matrices are now being designed to study substrate mechanics in more complex ECMs. This perspective examines the ways in which new materials are being used to advance our understanding of how ECM stiffness impacts cell function.
细胞所处的细胞外基质 (ECM) 的力学性能已成为细胞命运的一个重要调节因素。虽然基于天然 ECM 的材料已被用于暗示基质硬度对细胞命运决定的作用，但在这些基质中，很难将力学性能与其他结构参数分离。相比之下，完全合成的水凝胶提供了对物理和粘附特性的独立控制。现在正在设计新的合成材料，这些材料还可以再现天然基质的纤维结构层次，以更复杂的 ECM 来研究基质力学。本观点考察了新材料在推进我们对 ECM 硬度如何影响细胞功能的理解方面的应用。
