3B's Research Group, I3Bs, Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics, University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, 4805-017 Barco, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde - i3S, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal; Institute of Molecular Pathology and Immunology of the University of Porto, IPATIMUP, Porto, Portugal; Institute of Biomedical Sciences Abel Salazar, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Department of Pathology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Porto University, Porto, Portugal.
Trends Biotechnol. 2021 Jan;39(1):90-104. doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2020.06.003. Epub 2020 Jul 9.
Hyaluronan (HA) is a critical element of the extracellular matrix (ECM). The regulated synthesis and degradation of HA modulates the ECM chemical and physical properties that, in turn, influence cellular behavior. HA triggers signaling pathways associated with the adhesion, proliferation, migration, and differentiation of cells, mediated by its interaction with specific cellular receptors or by tuning the mechanical properties of the ECM. This review summarizes the recent advances on strategies used to mimic the HA present in the ECM to study healthy or pathological cellular behavior. This includes the development of HA-based 2D and 3D in vitro tissue models for the seeding and encapsulation of cells, respectively, and HA particles as carriers for the targeted delivery of therapeutic agents.
透明质酸（HA）是细胞外基质（ECM）的重要组成部分。HA 的合成和降解受到调控，从而调节 ECM 的化学和物理特性，进而影响细胞行为。HA 通过与特定细胞受体相互作用或调节 ECM 的力学特性，触发与细胞黏附、增殖、迁移和分化相关的信号通路。本综述总结了用于模拟 ECM 中 HA 的策略的最新进展，以研究健康或病理细胞行为。这包括开发基于 HA 的 2D 和 3D 体外组织模型，分别用于细胞的接种和包封，以及 HA 颗粒作为靶向递药载体。
