Optogenetic light-tunable extracellular matrix

Tunable Hydrogels from Pulmonary Extracellular Matrix for 3D Cell Culture.

Here we present a method for establishing multiple component cell culture hydrogels for in vitro lung cell culture. Beginning with healthy en bloc lung tissue from porcine, rat, or mouse, the tissue is perfused and submerged in subsequent chemical detergents to remove the cellular debris. Histological comparison of the tissue before and after processing confirms removal of over 95% of double st...

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...

Cardiac Extracellular Matrix-Fibrin Hydrogel Scaffolds with Tunable Properties for Cardiac Tissue Engineering

Introduction: Heart disease is currently the leading cause of death worldwide [1]. The majority of available therapies are geared toward slowing down the progression of heart disease and not toward restoring the contractile function of the affected tissues [2]. Extracellular matrix (ECM) obtained from decellularized cardiac tissue is a promising scaffold material that can be utilized to repair ...

Editorial: Brain Extracellular Space: Geometry, Matrix and Physiological Importance

Optogenetic approaches addressing extracellular modulation of neural excitability

The extracellular ionic environment in neural tissue has the capacity to influence, and be influenced by, natural bouts of neural activity. We employed optogenetic approaches to control and investigate these interactions within and between cells, and across spatial scales. We began by developing a temporally precise means to study microdomain-scale interactions between extracellular protons and...