Cellular modulation by the mechanical cues from biomaterials for tissue engineering

Qiang Wei, Shenghao Wang, Feng Han, Huan Wang, Weidong Zhang, Qifan Yu, Changjiang Liu, Luguang Ding, Jiayuan Wang, Lili Yu, Caihong Zhu, Bin Li

Figure 1. Schematic illustration of matrix mechanical cues that regulate cell behaviours. In general, the matrix mechanical cues include elasticity, viscoelasticity, topography, fibre stiffness, and external stimuli, all of which can regulate many cellular behaviours, including cell adhesion, spreading, proliferation, migration and differentiation. However, a single mechanical stimulus is generally insufficient to induce stem cell differentiation and achieve tissue regeneration; instead, multimodal mechanical factors including elasticity, viscoelasticity, topography and external mechanical stimuli would have a synergistic effect in guiding cell behaviours to promote tissue regeneration.