Single-cell mechanobiology: microengineered tools to study cell-matrix remodelling

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Cells play an active role in restructuring their surrounding environment, and these remodeling processes are critical factors in wound healing and disease progression. Abnormal remodeling activity of the biomolecular matrix is associated with 45% of all mortalities, but little is known about the interaction between individual cells in driving a tissue-wide remodeling process. For example, cells within a collagen matrix will rapidly contract the surrounding tissue, stiffening the material. Cells actively respond to mechanical signals such as applied forces and matrix stiffness to initiate remodeling activity. However, collagen is a mechanically complex material, displaying strain-stiffening behaviour, and mediating cellular response to applied forces. Understanding and characterizing how multiple cells interact in this feedback loop will provide new insight into remodeling-related diseases. More immediately, this knowledge may be used to develop new classes of stimuli-responsive cell-based materials, for advanced tissue engineering applications.