Polymer materials provide solutions to some of the most pressing environmental,
manufacturing and health-care challenges. Traditional thermoplastic and thermoset …

Substantial research over the past two decades has established that extracellular matrix
(ECM) elasticity, or stiffness, affects fundamental cellular processes, including spreading …

Integrins, and integrin-mediated adhesions, have long been recognized to provide the main
molecular link attaching cells to the extracellular matrix (ECM) and to serve as bidirectional …

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a highly dynamic system that constantly offers physical,
biological, and chemical signals to embraced cells. Increasing evidence suggests that …

Integrin adhesion complexes (IACs) have evolved over millions of years to integrate
metazoan cells physically with their microenvironment. It is presumed that the simultaneous …

The extracellular matrix mechanical properties regulate processes in development, cancer,
and fibrosis. Among the distinct mechanical properties, the vast majority of research has …

The linkage of cells to their microenvironment is mediated by a series of bonds that
dynamically engage and disengage, in what has been conceptualized as the molecular …

Vascular dysfunction is frequently observed in disorders associated with cognitive
impairment, dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Recent advances in neuroimaging and …

Cell behaviors and functions show distinct contrast in different mechanical
microenvironment. Numerous materials with varied rigidity have been developed to mimic …

The cells and tissues that make up our body manage contradictory mechanical demands. It
is crucial for their survival to be able to withstand large mechanical loads, but it is equally …