title: The physics of tissue formation with mesenchymal stem cells.
abstract: Cells react to various forms of physical phenomena that promote and maintain the formation of tissues. The best example of this are cells of musculoskeletal origin, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), which consistently proliferate or differentiate under cues from hydrostatic pressure, diffusive mass transport, shear stress, surface chemistry, mechanotransduction, and molecular kinetics. To date, no other cell type shows greater receptiveness to macroscopic and microscopic cues, highlighting the acute sensitivity of MSCs and the importance of physical principles in tissue homeostasis. In this review, we describe the literature that has shown how physical phenomena govern MSCs biology and provide insight into the mechanisms and strategies that can spur new biotechnological applications with tissue biology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Tissue Regeneration, Institute for Biomedical Technology and Technical Medicine, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Gustavo A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Higuera
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van Boxtel
authors.forename: Clemens A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: van Blitterswijk
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moroni
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D006801:Humans; D055595:Mechanical Phenomena; D059630:Mesenchymal Stem Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological