Enzyme-mediated stiffening hydrogels for probing activation of pancreatic stellate cells.

ABSTRACT: The complex network of biochemical and biophysical cues in the pancreatic desmoplasia not only presents challenges to the fundamental understanding of tumor progression, but also hinders the development of therapeutic strategies against pancreatic cancer. Residing in the desmoplasia, pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) are the major stromal cells affecting the growth and metastasis of pancreatic cancer cells by means of paracrine effects and extracellular matrix protein deposition. PSCs remain in a quiescent/dormant state until they are 'activated' by various environmental cues. While the mechanisms of PSC activation are increasingly being described in literature, the influence of matrix stiffness on PSC activation is largely unexplored. To test the hypothesis that matrix stiffness affects my

SUBMITTER: Liu HY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5235985 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature