Micropatterning cells in tissue engineering

Recent advances in tissue engineering have been facilitated by the ability to control the environment of cells in vitro. Modulation of cell-extracellular matrix, cell-substrate, and cell-cytokine interactions have proven to be useful in organotypic cultures of many kinds. In some cases, such as skin, bone marrow, and liver, the recovery of physiologic tissue function is enhanced by co-cultivation of two or more cell types together. The in vitro dependence of tissue function on cell-cell interactions is reminiscent of cellular cues during embryogenesis, or adult interactions between parenchymal cells and supporting stroma.