Microengineering of cellular interactions.
Tissue function is modulated by an intricate architecture of cells and biomolecules on a micrometer scale. Until now, in vitro cellular interactions were mainly studied by random seeding over homogeneous substrates. Although this strategy has led to important discoveries, it is clearly a nonoptimal analog of the in vivo scenario. With the incorporation--and adaptation--of microfabrication technology into biology, it is now possible to design surfaces that reproduce some of the aspects of that architecture. This article reviews past research on the engineering of cell-substrate, cell-cell, and cell-medium interactions on the micrometer scale.
Folch
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Bioengineering Department, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA. afolch@u.washington.edu
Toner
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D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D001698:Biomedical Engineering; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D003470:Culture Media; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D013499:Surface Properties
D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D003470:Culture Media; D016326:Extracellular Matrix Proteins