HOW DO CELLS SENSE SUBSTRATE STIFFNESS? EFFECTS OF SUBSTRATE ELASTICITY AND THICKNESS ON THE BEHAVIOR OF RAT AORTIC SMOOTH MUSCLE CELLS

摘要

There has been growing evidence that elasticity of substrate has significant effects on cells on it. For example, smooth muscle cells (SMCs) on elastic substrate increase their adhesion area as the substrate gets stiffer [1]. SMCs on substrate with elasticity gradient move to stiffer region [2]. Even differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells depends on substrate elasticity [3]. Thus, it is crucial to investigate how cells sense substrate elasticity to understand mechanical aspects of cell biology.