Cell–material Interactions

Cell–material interactions are critical to the success of tissue engineering strategies. Cells interact with and interpret physical and functional parameters of their environment, leading to rapid responses that influence cell form, function, and fate decision-making. Tissue engineering strategies can tune properties of the material interface, such as chemistry (ligand availability, charge), mechanics (stiffness and viscosity), and topography (architecture), to produce scaffolds or devices that are highly biomimetic. Cells sense and respond to these mechanical stimuli from the material through the extracellular matrix and adhesion receptors such as integrins, in a process termed mechanotransduction. In this chapter, we will first discuss the process of how cells adhere to and interact with materials and then how modulation of material properties permits tissue engineers precise control of cell–material interactions and thus cellular responses, including tuneable surfaces to control processes such as cell attachment, signaling, migration, and phenotype. Understanding cell–material interactions will allow for the development of novel tissue engineering strategies for clinically relevant applications, and as tools for investigating important cellular processes.