2022, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (25): 4034-4045

Mechanism and characteristics of mechanical microenvironment of extracellular matrix and intercellular interaction

Min Ziyang, Munire·Aili, Zheng Yunhao, Zeng Xingzhi, Bian Nanyan, Deng Shuangshan, Xie Jing   

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Mechanical properties of cellular extracellular matrix play a key role in human organ development, physiological function maintenance and disease occurrence by guiding cell adhesion, migration, proliferation and differentiation. In regenerative medicine and stem cell therapy, mechanical factors in extracellular matrix can direct the survival, growth, proliferation and differentiation of the implanted cells, which dictates cell fate of the implanted cells and determines the success of tissue regeneration and stem cell therapy.
OBJECTIVE: To review the effects of mechanical signals of extracellular matrix microenvironment on cell behavior, including cytoskeleton reconstruction, migration, proliferation, differentiation and intercellular communication, and elucidate the existing molecular regulation mechanism in order to provide theoretical support for the practical transformation of the interaction between cells and their mechanical microenvironment in tissue engineering and stem cell therapy.
METHODS: The articles were searched on PubMed, CNKI, and Wanfang databases with the key words of “cytoskeleton, cell spreading, cell migration, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, cell communication, mechanotransduction, stiffness of substrate, surface topography, extracellular matrix, matrix” in Chinese and English, respectively. Finally, 161 articles met the criteria for review.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Various mechanical signals of extracellular matrix, such as material interface stiffness, topology and hydrophilicity/hydrophobicity, regulate cell expansion, proliferation, migration, differentiation, communication and other special physiological properties from mechanical recognition, mechanochemical signal transduction, signal pathway cascade, downstream protein activation, and transcriptional initiation to protein expression. It is of great significance for directional culture of cells in tissue engineering and cell targeted therapy in clinical medicine.
Key words: stem cells, mechanical stimuli, cell migration, cell proliferation, cell differentiation, cell communication, mechanotransduction