Combinatorial ECM Arrays Reveal the Role of Biomechanics in Liver Progenitor Differentiation

摘要

Recent findings suggest that biomechanical signals within the liver microenvironment can regulate the differentiation of mature hepatocytes. However, the role of ECM biomechanics in liver progenitor differentiation remains primarily unexplored, despites its potential importance in the processes of liver morphogenesis and regeneration. To examine these mechanisms, we created high-throughput cellular arrays with the capacity to reiterate combinatorial ECM cues and characterize the corresponding phenotypic expression. Moreover, we combined these arrays with substrates of modular stiffness and integrated them with traction force microscopy (TFM) to assess the associated traction stress. This strategy provides a novel avenue to examine cell differentiation and elucidate the role of combinatorial ECM cues in cellular fate.