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Background: Lung cell responses are modulated by their mechanical microenvironment through mechanobiological pathways. Although it is well known that ageing induces an increase in lung resistance at the macroscale, how the local mechanical properties of the lung extracellular matrix (ECM) are modified by age is unknown.

Aim: To assess the changes caused by ageing in the local mechanical properties of the lung ECM.

Methods: Lungs were harvested from 4 young (6 months) and 8 aged (20-24-months) female mice and subsequently inflated with optimal cutting temperature compound to reach a volume equivalent to functional residual capacity. Lung cryosections (20-µm) were decellularized with short incubations in deionized water, sodium deoxycholate and deoxyribonuclease I, while remaining attached to a glass slide (Narciso et. al 2022, Front. Bioeng. Biotechnol. doi: 10.3389/fbioe.2022.832178). The …