Length and time scales bridge poroelasticity and tissue architecture

A significant but relatively neglected structural constituent of tissues and organs is the interstitial space, which pertains to the continuous gaps between cells and around proteins that constitute the extracellular matrix (ECM) (Cenaj et al. 2021). The geometry of the interstitial space, the biochemical composition of the ECM, and the dynamic state of cells, all contribute to the unique characteristics of the tissues and organs of which they are a part. Due largely to the quirks of histological protocols of fixation, the architecture of the interstitial space was less well understood (Benias et al. 2018). A series of influential papers in the past decade has revealed that the interstitial space is laden with characteristic reticular matrix networks that are filled with fluid and mediate communication between cells within and across organs (Cenaj et al. 2021; Pirri et al. 2023).