Microbes have remarkable capabilities to attach to the surface of implanted medical devices
and form biofilms that adversely impact device function and increase the risk of multidrug …

Cells actively sense and process mechanical information that is provided by the extracellular
environment to make decisions about growth, motility and differentiation. It is important to …

All cells exist within the context of a three-dimensional microenvironment in which they are
exposed to mechanical and physical cues. These cues can be disrupted through …

In situ, cells are highly sensitive to geometrical and mechanical constraints from their
microenvironment. These parameters are, however, uncontrolled under classic culture …

The myofibroblast is a specialized fibroblast that expresses α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA)
and participates in wound contraction and fibrosis. The fibroblast to myofibroblast transition …

The role of soluble messengers in directing cellular behaviours has been recognized for
decades. However, many cellular processes, including adhesion, migration and stem cell …

Polymers provide a versatile platform for mimicking various aspects of physiological
extracellular matrix properties such as chemical composition, rigidity, and topography for …

Solid tissues in the body possess a range of stiffness and provide cells with an instructive
microenvironment. Scaffolds in tissue engineering should be rationally designed to become …

Cells in physiological 3D environments differ considerably in morphology and differentiation
from those in 2D tissue culture. Naturally derived polymer systems are frequently used to …

Fibroblast migration is essential to normal wound healing and pathological matrix deposition
in fibrosis. This review summarizes our understanding of how fibroblasts navigate 2D and …