ABSTRACT
Cells interact with their environment, namely, the extracellular matrix (ECM), continuously at each stage of cellular life from embryonic development until death. The ECM is an interconnected network consisting primarily of different types of collagens, proteoglycans, and matricellular proteins, such as ‹bronectin, laminin, and vitronectin, and in some tissues inorganic mineral (Plopper 2007). This complex matrix is secreted by the cells and serves as a specialized niche microenvironment, providing the speci‹c cues necessary to control the function of each tissue type. The cells respond to these cues by altering their biological activity and, in turn, remodeling their surrounding ECM to re¢ect this altered activity, resulting in a well-orchestrated feedback system. For instance, the cells in bone (osteoblasts) produce a mineralized matrix during development and form the mature bone
CONTENTS
Introduction: Cell-Matrix Interactions ........................................................................................1 Engineering Cellular Microenvironments ...................................................................................2
