ABSTRACT
Tissue engineers apply fundamental knowledge of matrix remodeling to guide cells through the similar processes needed to develop an engineered tissue in vitro. Furthermore, it may be important for tissue engineers to control wound healing and subsequent remodeling after implantation of a tissue-engineered medical product (TEMP) in order to achieve long-term clinical success. Experimental models of cells embedded within a three-dimensional ECM are frequently used to study the process of matrix remodeling (Bell, Ivarsson, and Merrill 1979). The most common models involve ¦broblasts embedded within a hydrated collagen network or gel.
