title: Biomaterials approaches to modeling macrophage-extracellular matrix interactions in the tumor microenvironment.
abstract: Tumors are characterized by aberrant extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling and chronic inflammation. While advances in biomaterials and tissue engineering strategies have led to important new insights regarding the role of ECM composition, structure, and mechanical properties in cancer in general, the functional link between these parameters and macrophage phenotype is poorly understood. Nevertheless, increasing experimental evidence suggests that macrophage behavior is similarly controlled by physicochemical properties of the ECM and consequential changes in mechanosignaling. Here, we will summarize the current knowledge of macrophage biology and ECM-mediated differences in mechanotransduction and discuss future opportunities of biomaterials and tissue engineering platforms to interrogate the functional relationship between these parameters and their relevance to cancer.
authors.affiliation: Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Graduate Field of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
authors.forename: Nora L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Springer
authors.affiliation: Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Graduate Field of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA; Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA. Electronic address: cf99@cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fischbach
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001672:Biocompatible Materials / Q000494:pharmacology*; D021982:Cell-Matrix Junctions / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D040542:Mechanotransduction, Cellular / Q000187:drug effects; D008954:Models, Biological; D059016:Tumor Microenvironment / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials