ABSTRACT
Control of the cellular microenvironment is a key requirement for understanding cell biology as well as to develop new substrates for using cell and tissue engineering (Khademhosseini et al. 2006, 2009). e cues derived from the surrounding microenvironment regulate cellular behaviors such as attachment, spreading, proliferation, migration, and dierentiation. e cells in our body are arranged in distinct patterns during their development that are subsequently regulated by spatial and temporal environmental cues over many length scales. e cellular microenvironment is comprised of a complex mixture of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules, soluble factors, nonsoluble factors, and other cell types. It is known that the microenvironment of cells is critical for maintaining their normal function. Regulating cell behavior by modulating the cellular microenvironment such as the cell-substrate interaction is therefore of great importance to enable such a dened biological activity.
