Engineering the Extracellular Matrix: Synthetic Provisional Hydrogels for Wound Regeneration
Year: 2001
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: INTRODUCTION: The extracellular matrix (ECM) of connective tissue plays an essential role in the regulation of cell behaviour and tissue formation, providing both biophysical and biochemical cues for the cells in contact. The remodelling and repair of tissues - involved in many physiologic and pathologic situations - is highly cell-controlled. Cells locally express or activate proteases that cleave the surrounding macromolecules thereby degrading the ECM. The goal of this project was to design synthetic extracellular matrices that can be used as alternatives for naturally occurring matrices such as fibrin or collagen, which require difficult purification procedures and carry the risk of disease transmission. The poly(ethylene glycol)(PEG) based hydrogels described herein contain a combination of biological signals, namely ligands for cell adhesion and migration and susceptibility to cell-secreted matrix metalloproteases (MMPs), which allow them to undergo cell-mediated remodelling. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Branched
Institution: University of Zurich
Language: English
Subfield: Molecular Medicine
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: gold
OpenAlex ID: W170183251