Microfabricated environments to study collective cell behaviors.
Coordinated cell movements in epithelial layers are essential for proper tissue morphogenesis and homeostasis. Microfabrication techniques have proven to be very useful for studies of collective cell migration in vitro. In this chapter, we briefly review the use of microfabricated substrates in providing new insights into collective cell behaviors. We first describe the development of micropatterned substrates to study the influence of geometrical constraints on cell migration and coordinated movements. Then, we present an alternative method based on microfabricated pillar substrates to create well-defined gaps within cell sheets and study gap closure. We also provide a discussion that presents possible pitfalls and sheds light onto the important parameters that allow the study of long-term cell culture on substrates of well-defined geometries.
Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Sri Ram Krishna
SR
Vedula
Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Andrea
A
Ravasio
Laboratoire Matière et Systèmes Complexes (MSC), Université Paris Diderot, and Unité Mixte de Recherche 7057 CNRS, Paris, France; Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.
Ester
E
Anon
Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Tianchi
T
Chen
Institut Jacques Monod (IJM), CNRS UMR 7592 & Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France.
Grégoire
G
Peyret
Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Mohammed
M
Ashraf
Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore; Institut Jacques Monod (IJM), CNRS UMR 7592 & Université Paris Diderot, Paris, France.
Benoit
B
Ladoux
D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D060833:Cellular Microenvironment / Q000187:drug effects; D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D004285:Dogs; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D005353:Fibronectins / Q000378:metabolism; D061985:Madin Darby Canine Kidney Cells; D055616:Microtechnology / Q000379:methods*
D004129:Dimethylpolysiloxanes; D005353:Fibronectins
Collective cell behavior; Epithelial gap closure; Geometrical constraints; Microcontact printing; Microfabricated substrates