Dear Colleagues,

With advances in tissue engineering and the goal of developing patches and/or replacement tissues which seamlessly integrate within the native environment, understanding how cells interact with and respond to natural or engineered matrices is crucial for directing cell behavior. Cells are mechanically complex; exhibiting viscoelastic behavior, deforming in response to externally applied mechanical stimuli and regulating dynamic changes cytoskeletal components which contribute to cellular material properties. The mechanical properties of cells are not only dependent upon the cell itself, but also on the local environment. The extracellular matrix, which surrounds cells in their native environment, provides fundamental cues which drive a multitude of cellular functions including differentiation, migration and proliferation. For example, the response of stem cells to the mechanical stiffness of the extracellular matrix has been shown to direct their differentiation down specific lineages. This issue of The Journal of Functional Biomaterials will highlight advances in our understanding of how cells interact with and mechanically probe their environment. Of particular interest are articles which describe methods for assessing cell-matrix interactions or articles dealing with measuring mechanical properties of individual cells or small cell populations. The development of model systems which will allow for the evaluation of environmental factors which effect cell mechanics are also of great interest.

Dr. Edie C. Goldsmith
Guest Editor

• cell mechanics
• xxtracellular matrix
• biopolymers/biomaterials
• models
• mechanotransduction
• deformation
• cell adhesion
• atomic force microscopy