Normal brain homeostasis depends on the integrity of the blood–brain barrier that controls
the access of nutrients, humoral factors, and immune cells to the CNS. The blood–brain …

The mammalian kidney forms via cell–cell interactions between an epithelial outgrowth of
the nephric duct and the surrounding nephrogenic mesenchyme. Initial morphogenetic …

Building a good lung, capable of efficient gas exchange between air and blood, poses a
number of conflicting problems for physiology and cell biology. One of these is the complex …

Closure of wounds and gaps in tissues is fundamental for the correct development and
physiology of multicellular organisms and, when misregulated, may lead to inflammation …

Epithelial tissues can elongate in two dimensions by polarized cell intercalation, oriented
cell division, or cell shape change, owing to local or global actomyosin contractile forces …

Background Standard three-dimensional (3D) in vitro culture techniques, such as those
used for mammary epithelial cells, rely on random distribution of cells within hydrogels …

Tissue-derived fibrillated matrices can be instrumental for the in vitro reconstitution of
multiphasic extracellular microenvironments. However, despite of several advantages, the …

Multicellular organization with precise spatial definition is essential to various biological
processes, including morphogenesis, development, and healing in vascular and other …

The physical environment critically affects cell shape, proliferation, differentiation, and
survival by exerting mechanical forces on cells. These forces are sensed and transduced …

The advance of nanotechnology in drug delivery systems has allowed central nervous
system (CNS) accumulation of several anti-tumor agents with poor brain penetration but also …