Cell–Biomaterial Interactions

Dear Colleagues,

The native extracellular matrix provides dynamic and spatially heterogeneous microstructural, mechanical, and compositional cues that can influence cell behavior. The ability to mimic such complex in vivo cell–microenvironment interactions is essential to the success of an implant biomaterial. The cell–biomaterial interactions, such as three-dimensional orientation and architecture of cells, controlling cell–cell contact and communication with microscale resolution and directing cell behavior to achieve appropriate biological function, are also critical to the development of the next-generation tissue engineering scaffolds. To direct cell behavior, traditional surface modification methods have been developed for scaffolds where cell contact is expected primarily at the scaffold surface. However, as the tissue engineering research progresses into creating three-dimensional scaffold materials where cellular in-growth into the scaffold will be deemed essential, new modification methods will be required.

For this Special Issue on “Cell–Biomaterial Interactions”, I am inviting original research papers and comprehensive reviews on all innovative developments that provide fundamental insights about cell–cell, cell–matrix, and cell–microenvironment interactions, including but not limited to the following topics:

• Integration of microstructural, mechanical, and compositional cues for engineering complex tissue systems;
• Substrate guided stem cell behavior;
• Interaction of specific cell types with materials;
• Modification of three-dimensional biomaterial scaffolds by grafting and patterning of small molecules, polymers, and/or ligands;
• Characterization methods to ascertain a successfully modified three-dimensional scaffold and cellular interactions with such scaffolds;
• New developments in materials that are responsive to environmental cues (e.g., temperature, pH, or cellular products).

Prof. Amol V. Janorkar
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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