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

细胞在重建其周围环境中发挥积极作用，这些重塑过程是伤口愈合和疾病进展的关键因素。 生物分子基质的异常重塑活性与45%的死亡率相关，但对驱动组织范围重塑过程中单个细胞之间的相互作用知之甚少。 例如，胶原蛋白基质中的细胞会迅速收缩周围组织，使材料变硬。 细胞主动响应机械信号，如施加的力和基质硬度，以启动重塑活动。 然而，胶原是一种机械复杂的材料，显示应变硬化行为，并介导细胞对施加的力的反应。 了解和表征多个细胞如何在这个反馈回路中相互作用，将为重塑相关疾病提供新的见解。 更直接的是，这些知识可以用于开发新的刺激响应细胞基材料，用于先进的组织工程应用。

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.