Courbot Olivia, Elosegui-Artola Alberto
Cell and Tissue Mechanobiology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK.
Department of Physics, King's College London, London, UK.
NPJ Biol Phys Mech. 2025;2(1):10. doi: 10.1038/s44341-025-00014-6. Epub 2025 Apr 3.
For several decades, research has studied the influence of the extracellular matrix (ECM) mechanical properties in cell response, primarily emphasising its elasticity as the main determinant of cell and tissue behaviour. However, the ECM is not purely elastic; it is viscoelastic. ECM viscoelasticity has now emerged as a major regulator of collective cell dynamics. This review highlights recent findings on the role of ECM viscoelasticity in development and pathology.
几十年来，研究一直在探讨细胞外基质（ECM）的力学特性对细胞反应的影响，主要强调其弹性是细胞和组织行为的主要决定因素。然而，ECM并非纯粹弹性的；它具有粘弹性。ECM粘弹性现已成为集体细胞动力学的主要调节因子。本综述重点介绍了ECM粘弹性在发育和病理学中作用的最新研究结果。
