Laboratory of Cell Therapy, Foundation for Applied Medical Research, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
Advanced Materials Research Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
J Tissue Eng Regen Med. 2018 Apr;12(4):1012-1019. doi: 10.1002/term.2586. Epub 2017 Nov 10.
Tissue-specific stem cells reside in a specialized environment known as niche. The niche plays a central role in the regulation of cell behaviour and, through the concerted action of soluble molecules, supportive somatic cells, and extracellular matrix components, directs stem cells to proliferate, differentiate, or remain quiescent. Great efforts have been done to decompose and separately analyse the contribution of these cues in the in vivo environment. Specifically, the mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix influence many aspects of cell behaviour, including self-renewal and differentiation. Deciphering the role of biomechanics could thereby provide important insights to control the stem cells responses in a more effective way with the aim to promote their therapeutic potential. In this review, we provide a wide overview of the effect that the microenvironment stiffness exerts on the control of cell behaviour with a particular focus on the induction of stem cells differentiation. We also describe the process of mechanotransduction and the molecular effectors involved. Finally, we critically discuss the potential involvement of tissue biomechanics in the design of novel tissue engineering strategies.
组织特异性干细胞存在于一种被称为龛的特殊环境中。龛在调节细胞行为方面起着核心作用，通过可溶性分子、支持性体细胞和细胞外基质成分的协同作用，指导干细胞增殖、分化或保持静止。人们已经做出了巨大的努力来分解和分别分析这些线索在体内环境中的贡献。具体来说，细胞外基质的力学特性影响细胞行为的许多方面，包括自我更新和分化。因此，解析生物力学的作用可以提供重要的见解，以更有效的方式控制干细胞的反应，目的是促进其治疗潜力。在这篇综述中，我们广泛概述了微环境硬度对细胞行为控制的影响，特别关注诱导干细胞分化。我们还描述了力学转导过程和涉及的分子效应子。最后，我们批判性地讨论了组织生物力学在新型组织工程策略设计中的潜在作用。
