Biointerfaces Between Cells and Substrates in Three Dimensions - Biointerfaces: Where Material Meets Biology - page 133

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CHAPTER 6
Biointerfaces Between Cells
and Substrates in Three
Dimensions

ADAM S. HAYWARD, a NEIL R. CAMERON* b AND
STEFAN A. PRZYBORSKI* a

a School of Biological and Biomedical Science, Durham University,
South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK; b Department of Chemistry, Durham
University, South Road, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK
*Email: [e-mail]; [e-mail]

.

6.1 The Structural and Physiological Relevance of
Three-dimensional Biointerfaces
In order to successfully replicate native cell and tissue function in the la-
boratory, the artificial growth environment needs to be structurally and
physiologically relevant. In the body, cells adopt a complex three-dimen-
sional (3D) architecture that involves anchorage to adjacent cells and a
supporting extracellular cellular matrix (ECM). Tight junctions and other
protein complexes bind cells together across multiple surfaces allowing
constant 3D communication across the tissue. In parallel, cell surface re-
ceptors continually receive biochemical cues from the ECM as to when to
proliferate, differentiate or initiate a specific biological process. This com-
plex 3D interaction between cells and the ECM plays a critical role in
maintaining normal cell and tissue function in vivo.