Overlooked? Underestimated? Effects of Substrate Curvature on Cell Behavior

Danielle Baptista, Liliana Teixeira, Clemens van Blitterswijk, Stefan Giselbrecht, Roman Truckenmuller*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal(Systematic) Review article peer-review

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Abstract

In biological systems, form and function are inherently correlated. Despite this strong interdependence, the biological effect of curvature has been largely overlooked or underestimated, and consequently it has rarely been considered in the design of new cell-material interfaces. This review summarizes current understanding of the interplay between the curvature of a cell substrate and the related morphological and functional cellular response. In this context, we also discuss what is currently known about how, in the process of such a response, cells recognize curvature and accordingly reshape their membrane. Beyond this, we highlight state-of-the-art microtechnologies for engineering curved biomaterials at cell-scale, and describe aspects that impair or improve read-outs of the pure effect of curvature on cells

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)838-854
Number of pages17
JournalTrends in Biotechnology
Volume37
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2019

Keywords

  • STEM-CELLS
  • CONCAVE MICROWELLS
  • SELF-ORGANIZATION
  • CONTACT GUIDANCE
  • CDC42 GTPASES
  • DIFFERENTIATION
  • ORIENTATION
  • FABRICATION
  • SURFACE
  • PATTERNS

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