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Mechanobiology of the Extracellular Matrix: Learning from Articular Cartilage
Author(s) -
Kearns Sarah,
Das Moumita
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.29.1_supplement.719.8
Subject(s) - mechanobiology , extracellular matrix , self healing hydrogels , matrix (chemical analysis) , scaffold , biopolymer , cartilage , tissue engineering , nanotechnology , materials science , chemistry , biophysics , biomedical engineering , anatomy , engineering , polymer , composite material , biology , biochemistry , polymer chemistry
This project aims to study the structure‐function relations in the extracellular matrix (ECM) surrounding cells. The ECM is a complex biopolymer scaffolding that provides structural and mechanical support to cells, and regulates how cells sense and respond to external stimuli. For example, when we walk or run, the cartilage tissue in our knees experiences very large stresses. It is able to bear these stresses mainly due to the supportive nature of the ECM, in which the cells are embedded, and not due to cells because they are very sparsely distributed. As a model system, our study focuses on the ECM in cartilage tissue which has two major mechanobiological components: a network of the biopolymer collagen that acts as a stiff, reinforcing matrix, and a flexible network of Proteoglycans that facilitates swelling and deformability. We model this system as a double network hydrogel made of interpenetrating networks of stiff and flexible biopolymers respectively using Fortran 90. We will study the biomechanical response of the model ECM to shear and compression forces and compare our results with experiments done by our collaborators. This study will provide useful insights into the design principles for the ECM as well as biomimetic hydrogels that are mechanically robust and can, at the same time, easily adapt to cues in their surroundings.