Chapter category: Tissue Engineering

Cytomechanics in Connective Tissue Repair and Engineering

This chapter appears in the following book:

Tissue Repair, Contraction
and the Myofibroblast

Edited by: Christine Chaponnier, Alexis Desmouliere and Giulio Gabbiani
ISBN: 0-387-33649-4
» Get more information about this book at landesbioscience.com «

Chapter authors:
Robert A. Brown

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Mechanical forces are central to the control of 3D spatial organisation in connective tissue remodelling, repair and scarring. How this operates is increasingly seen as the next major research focus in this area. In contrast to mechanics at the tissue-scale, cell-level mechanics (or cytomechanics) is dominated by the cell-matrix-material interplay. The matrix completely modifies incoming, external mechanical cues whilst fibroblasts generate their own local forces to monitor and remodel that same matrix. By understanding these cell-material dynamics it is becoming clear how musculo-skeletal cells predictably adapt their responses to the perceived mechanical environment. Elements such as shape-change, orientation, matrix synthesis, migration can be explained relatively simply in terms of stress-shielding, matrix anisotropy, force vectors, rate of strain etc. In turn these translate into control of 3D tissue structure. (i) Anisotropy in fibrous collagen seems to be particularly important in modulating cytomechanical cues and so in controlling 3D remodelling. It is likely, then that the disorganised structure of scars resists subsequent remodelling because that same structural disorganisation obscures normal cytomechanical signaling. (ii) Reinterpretation of the role of cell force-generation suggests that this is necessary for (a) testing substrate material properties and (b) to produce incremental changes in tissue dimensions during remodelling. By understanding this interplay of cell-level forces with extracellular material properties (i.e., cytomechanics) new interpretations of connective tissue control and dysfunction are possible. Because of the predictable nature of (cyto) mechanics, these mechanisms are more direct and less complex than their biological counterparts.

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Cytomechanics in Connective Tissue Repair and Engineering

Robert A. Brown

Chapter category: Tissue Engineering

Cytomechanics in Connective Tissue Repair and Engineering

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