Remodeling by fibroblasts alters the rate-dependent mechanical properties of collagen.

ABSTRACT:

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The ways that fibroblasts remodel their environment are central to wound healing, development of musculoskeletal tissues, and progression of pathologies such as fibrosis. However, the changes that fibroblasts make to the material around them and the mechanical consequences of these changes have proven difficult to quantify, especially in realistic, viscoelastic three-dimensional culture environments, leaving a critical need for quantitative data. Here, we observed the mechanisms and quantified the mechanical effects of fibroblast remodeling in engineered tissue constructs (ETCs) comprised of reconstituted rat tail (type I) collagen and human fibroblast cells. To study the effects of remodeling on tissue mechanics, stress-relaxation tests were performed on ETCs cultured f

SUBMITTER: Babaei B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4890571 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature