Nonswelling and Hydrolytically Stable Hydrogels Uncover Cellular Mechanosensing in 3D.

ABSTRACT: While matrix stiffness regulates cell behavior on 2D substrates, recent studies using synthetic hydrogels have suggested that in 3D environments, cell behavior is primarily impacted by matrix degradability, independent of stiffness. However, these studies did not consider the potential impact of other confounding matrix parameters that typically covary with changes in stiffness, particularly, hydrogel swelling and hydrolytic stability, which may explain the previously observed distinctions in cell response in 2D versus 3D settings. To investigate how cells sense matrix stiffness in 3D environments, a nonswelling, hydrolytically stable, linearly elastic synthetic hydrogel model is developed in which matrix stiffness and degradability can be tuned independently. It is found that matrix degra

SUBMITTER: Long H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9036035 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature