title: Nanotechnology for cell-substrate interactions.
abstract: In the pursuit to understand the interaction between cells and their underlying substrates, the life sciences are beginning to incorporate micro- and nanotechnology-based tools to probe and measure cells. The development of these tools portends endless possibilities for new insights into the fundamental relationships between cells and their surrounding microenvironment that underlie the physiology of human tissue. Here, we review techniques and tools that have been used to study how a cell responds to the physical factors in its environment. We also discuss unanswered questions that could be addressed by these approaches to better elucidate the molecular processes and mechanical forces that dominate the interactions between cells and their physical scaffolds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Nathan J
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Sniadecki
authors.forename: Ravi A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Desai
authors.forename: Sami Alom
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ruiz
authors.forename: Christopher S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002448:Cell Adhesion / Q000502:physiology; D002468:Cell Physiological Phenomena; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular / Q000502:physiology; D015336:Molecular Probe Techniques; D015335:Molecular Probes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D015335:Molecular Probes