Among all adult human tissues, the brain occupies the extreme low end of the mechanical stiffness spectrum. While the body contains structures engineered for load bearing, tension, and compression, the brain is optimized for signalling, plasticity, and metabolic exchange. Its mechanical softness is not incidental. It is fundamental to its biological function.
Studies reported in Science and Nature Materials using Softwell highlight the importance of softness in cell behaviour. The study of cell signalling has traditionally focused on chemical cues such as growth factors, cytokines, transcriptional regulators and, more recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs) as the primary drivers of cell behaviour. Yet cells do not exist in isolation. Every cell resides in a physical environment that pushes, pulls, resists and deforms it. Increasingly, research is showing that this physical context is not secondary, but fundamental.
Critical gaps between experimental models and clinical reality are the reason why clinical trials of promising drugs often fail. Closing those gaps can save huge amounts of money lost to failed trials. The right scaffold is critical to model accuracy
Often overlooked, matrix stiffness is hugely important to the behaviour of cells. A recent study of prostate cancer cells using gels of varying stiffness reveals mechanistic insights.
Using lasers, hydrogels and sustained release neurotropic growth factors, researchers in Switzerland have developed a sophisticated nerve conduit system to repair non-union nerve damage.
RADA16, the pioneer in the field of self-assembling peptide hydrogels, is inflexible (figuratively at least) and can be difficult to use. PeptiGel is winning out with clever refinement, bespoke formulation and a ready-to-use format.
GFOGER is a collagen sequence that primarily binds to specific integrins which not only anchor cells to the matrix but also influence cell behaviour, such as proliferation, migration, and differentiation.
The RGD peptide is the most widely used in cell culture. RGD is a natural motif that binds to common cell receptors providing binding points to substrates. The origins and the myriad of applications of RGD are discussed.
Collagen can fail to gelate. This may be due to a multiple of factors which are discussed in this article.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular disease, with over 16.4 million cancer-related deaths predicted by 2040. It is well known for its complex and dynamic nature, which has meant that it is challenging to study with 2D cell culture models, although understanding of the disease has improved.
