Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a determining factor of cell fate, and for this reason the utilization of ECM components to construct bioactive scaffolds and coatings has become a focus of interest. The naturally occurring ECM offers a multitude of components with very diverse functions, and the topic of this chapter is artificial ECM (aECM) constructed of select components with a view to eliciting specific responses in cells and tissues. In the majority of the cases, collagen is the basic material, which can be modified using a number of different glycoproteins, proteoglycans, and glycosaminoglycans, giving rise to aECM with different morphological and biochemical characteristics that affect cell behavior and ultimately tissue response. In this chapter, a number of these ECM components are described in their numerous interactions with each other, with soluble components such as growth factors and cytokines, and with cellular receptors. Preparation and immobilization methods and their consequences for matrix structure and behavior are discussed next, and the final sections summarize the cell and animal experimental data for aECM, illustrating the potential of such matrices to direct cell fate.
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