ABSTRACT
The extracellular matrix (ECM), and its specialized form, the basement membrane (BM), are dynamic and indispensable components of all organs, providing structural scaffolding and contextual information [1,2]. ECM, as a component of tissues, is a three-dimensional (3D), heterogeneous chemical composite made of multiple structural and functional units that resembles a multivalent ligand. The concept that ECM functions beyond providing a static or structural environment was originally demonstrated in developmental biology studies [3] and the existence of cross-talk between the ECM and chromatin, termed ‘‘dynamic reciprocity,’’ was initially proposed in a theoretical model in 1982 [4]. These findings are now being translated in tissue engineering: ‘‘An interdisciplinary field that applies the principles of engineering and life sciences toward the development of biological substitutes for the repair or regeneration of tissue or organ functions’’ [5,6].
