Engineering Extracellular Matrix Viscoelasticity to Probe Cellular Responses

In the body, cells are surrounded by a scaffolding of biopolymers that provide physical support and biochemical cues, known as the extracellular matrix (ECM). Hydrogel cell culture models have been used to reveal that properties of the ECM, notably matrix stiffness, can regulate a host of cellular behaviors, such as migration, division, differentiation, and even cancer progression. ECM is often viscoelastic, displaying stress relaxation in response to strain, and recapitulating complex aspects of native ECM, such as dynamic remodeling and viscoelasticity, remains challenging. Further, key aspects of mechanotransduction, such as the effect of mechanics on the epigenome, are not well understood. In this talk, I will discuss how matrix stiffness can induce epigenomic remodeling leading to a tumorigenic phenotype in a breast cancer model. I will also describe our work to develop 3D hydrogel platforms that allow for dynamic tuning of matrix viscoelasticity to better understand the biological impact and pathways involved in mechanotransduction.

Speaker: Ryan Stowers, UC Santa Barbara