Static and Dynamic Biomaterial Engineering for Cell Modulation

Abstract

In the biological microenvironment, cells are surrounded by an extracellular matrix (ECM), with which they dynamically interact during various biological processes. Specifically, the physical and chemical properties of the ECM work cooperatively to influence the behavior and fate of cells directly and indirectly, which invokes various physiological responses in the body. Hence, efficient strategies to modulate cellular responses for a specific purpose have become important for various scientific fields such as biology, pharmacy, and medicine. Among many approaches, the utilization of biomaterials has been studied the most because they can be meticulously engineered to mimic cellular modulatory behavior. For such careful engineering, studies on physical modulation (e.g., ECM topography, stiffness, and wettability) and chemical manipulation (e.g., composition and soluble and surface biosignals) have been actively conducted. At present, the scope of research is being shifted from static (considering only the initial environment and the effects of each element) to biomimetic dynamic (including the concepts of time and gradient) modulation in both physical and chemical manipulations. This review provides an overall perspective on how the static and dynamic biomaterials are actively engineered to modulate targeted cellular responses while highlighting the importance and advance from static modulation to biomimetic dynamic modulation for biomedical applications.

Dynamic and static biomechanical traits of cardiac fibrosis

“…A comprehensive understanding of the biomechanical features of cardiac fibrosis requires a rigorous and broad perspective on biomechanics and fibrosis. Future research should detail the biomechanical traits of cardiac fibrosis ( Park et al, 2022 ), and more in-depth studies and explorations are needed.…”

Applications of functionally-adapted hydrogels in tendon repair

“…However, the in vivo mechanical microenvironment around the stem cells appears to be highly dynamic. The native ECM, surrounding cells and other bioactive factors persistently undergo changes and the stem cells could sense and respond to the dynamic changes correspondingly ( Morris et al, 2016 ; Ma et al, 2018 ; Zhang et al, 2019 ; Park et al, 2022b ). Therefore, the scope of interest in designing biomaterials has shifted from simple and bioinert materials to biomimetic materials with dynamic behaviors.…”

Multifunctional Magnetic Nanoparticles for Dynamic Imaging and Therapy

“…The detailed mechanisms of how magnetomechanical stimuli as well as iron oxide composition regulate the cells have been reported and reflected in various material designs. [ 4,116 ]…”

“…Opening ion channels, activating cell death, and manipulating individual receptors that can control various cellular signal pathways have been suggested using external energy forms that can be dynamically applied in situ, which advance from the static control strategies. [ 1–4 ] For instance, optogenetics using light [ 5,6 ] have greatly advanced cellular modulation over the past decades, especially for neuromodulation. [ 7 ] Other energy sources have also been demonstrated with promising potential for regulating cellular metabolism and death.…”