Alignment of Cells and Extracellular Matrix Within Tissue-Engineered Substitutes - Advances in Biomaterials Science and Biomedical Applications - page 365

ment is skeletal muscle cells that form long polynuclear cells, all elongated in the same axis.
in the circumferential direction, as they do in vivo [7, 8]. Another striking example of align‐
are elongated in the same axis. For tubular vascular constructs, it is suitable that SMCs align
in vessel contraction, the cells and ECM need to be organized in such a way that most cells
muscle (SM)-actin, desmin and myosin [6] that are essential for cell contraction [6]. To result
cles are crucial for organ function. SMCs express contraction proteins such as alpha-smooth-
the corneal stroma, vascular smooth muscle cells (SMCs), tendons, bones and skeletal mus‐
The particular alignment patterns of ECM and cells observed in tissues and organs such as
biodegradable or not), its organization and the dimension of the structure.
sues. To do so, we must take into account the composition of the scaffold (synthetic, natural,
of these aspects are of the utmost importance to create constructs that closely mimic native tis‐
via bidirectional integrin signaling [2-4]. In the growing field of tissue engineering [5], control
modify their morphology and phenotype depending on the protein types and organization
terns, essential for tissue and organ functions. Reciprocally, cells are guided by the ECM, they
the integrins [1]. They also organize this matrix, guided by different stimuli, to generate pat‐
such as matrix metalloproteinase (MMP). Cells interact with the ECM via specific receptors,
ferent proteins such as collagen, proteoglycans, laminins or degrade it by producing factors
Those cells constantly remodel the ECM by different processes. They build it by secreting dif‐
nents which constitute a complex network of nano-scale proteins and glycosaminoglycans.
Most of the cells in our body are in direct contact with extracellular matrix (ECM) compo‐
1. Introduction
Additional information is available at the end of the chapter
Teodor Veres
Lucie Germain, Maxime Guillemette and
Jean-Michel Bourget, François A. Auger,
Tissue-Engineered Substitutes
Alignment of Cells and Extracellular Matrix Within
Chapter 14