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Sandwich-like Microenvironments to Harness Cell/Material Interactions
Published on: August 4, 2015
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The Art of Engineering Biomimetic Cellular Microenvironments
Ross C Bretherton1,2, Cole A DeForest1,2,3,4,5
1Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98105, United States.
ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering
|February 1, 2021
Summary
New biomaterials allow researchers to program cell environments, revealing how cells interact with and influence their surroundings for better understanding of development and disease.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cell Biology
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Cells and their microenvironment engage in dynamic, reciprocal interactions crucial for biological processes.
- Advancements in biomaterials enable sophisticated cell culture systems that mimic in vivo conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review emerging trends in programmable biomaterials for cell culture.
- To highlight strategies for controlling cellular responses to microenvironmental cues.
Main Methods:
- Focus on tunable scaffolds with controlled network mechanics.
- Emphasis on anisotropic presentation of biomolecular cues.
- Exploration of cells as actuators of their own niche.
Main Results:
- Programmable biomaterials offer precise control over spatiotemporal biophysical and biochemical signals.
- Strategies for anisotropic cue presentation and cell-mediated niche remodeling are advancing.
- These innovations facilitate deeper investigation into cell-microenvironment crosstalk.
Conclusions:
- Material science innovations are enhancing our understanding of cell-microenvironment interactions.
- These advances promise breakthroughs in developmental biology, homeostasis, and disease research.
- Future work will leverage these materials to decipher complex cellular signaling networks.
