Extracellular matrix: understanding the complexity

Extracellular matrix: understanding the complexity.

Understanding the extracellular matrix

Tissue engineering deals with the growth and regeneration techniques of connective tissues or organs from a combination of cells and a scaffold to produce a functional organ. The engineering techniques therefore begin with an implantation of artificial materials, providing a proper environment for cells or tissues to be grown and functionalized. The scaffolds are often formulated with biodegrad...

Chapter 13 Complexity of Extracellular Matrix and Skeletal Muscle Regeneration

Skeletal muscle regeneration occurs by the activation, proliferation and fusion of muscle precursor cells (myoblasts) that usually lie in a satellite cell position on the surface of the sarcolemma beneath the external lamina (basement membrane) of myofibres. Thus these myoblasts (satellite cells), as is the whole surface of the myfibre and the neuromuscular junctions (NMJ), are in intimate cont...

Extracellular Matrix

The tissues of a multicellular organism contain two main components, the cells themselves, onwhichmost biological research has traditionally focused, and the material that lies between the cells. This material is called the extracellular matrix, usually abbreviated to ‘ECM’. The ratio of tissue volume occupied by ECM to that occupied by cells varies from less than 1:10 (e.g. in muscles) to more...

Global analysis reveals the complexity of the human glomerular extracellular matrix.

The glomerulus contains unique cellular and extracellular matrix (ECM) components, which are required for intact barrier function. Studies of the cellular components have helped to build understanding of glomerular disease; however, the full composition and regulation of glomerular ECM remains poorly understood. We used mass spectrometry-based proteomics of enriched ECM extracts for a global an...