The past 20 years have witnessed ever-growing evidence that the mechanical properties of
biological tissues, from nanoscale to macroscale dimensions, are fundamental for cellular …

As the crucial non-cellular component of tissues, the extracellular matrix (ECM) provides
both physical support and signaling regulation to cells. Some ECM molecules provide a …

In epithelial cancers, cells must invade through basement membranes (BMs) to metastasize.
The BM, a thin layer of extracellular matrix underlying epithelial and endothelial tissues, is …

The basement membrane (BM) is a special type of extracellular matrix and presents the
major barrier cancer cells have to overcome multiple times to form metastases. Here we …

One of the most important functions of skin is to act as a protective barrier. To fulfill this role,
the structural integrity of the skin depends on the dermal-epidermal junction—a complex …

The basement membrane (BM) is a special type of extracellular matrix that lines the basal
side of epithelial and endothelial tissues. Functionally, the BM is important for providing …

The basement membrane (BM) is a thin, planar-organized extracellular matrix that underlies
epithelia and surrounds most organs. During development, the BM is highly dynamic and …

The emergence of collagen I in vertebrates resulted in a dramatic increase in the stiffness of
the extracellular environment, supporting long-range force propagation and the …

During embryogenesis, tissues and organs are progressively shaped into their functional
morphologies. While the information about tissue and organ shape is encoded genetically …

Cell-extracellular matrix interactions have been studied extensively using cells cultured in
vitro. These studies indicate that focal adhesion (FA)-based cell-extracellular matrix …