Cell phenotype is specified by environmental cues embedded in the architecture and composition of the extracellular matrix (ECM). Much has been learned about matrix organization and assembly through analyses of the ECM protein fibronectin (FN). FN matrix assembly is a cell-mediated process in which soluble dimeric FN is converted into a fibrillar network. Binding of cell surface integrin recept...

Extracellular matrix (ECM) mineralization is a physiological process in bone and a pathological one in soft tissues. The mechanisms determining the spatial restriction of ECM mineralization to bone physiologically are poorly understood. Here we show that a normal extracellular phosphate concentration is required for bone mineralization, while lowering this concentration prevents mineralization ...

Osteosarcoma cells are involved in the remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that affects their growth, invasive and metastatic activities. The tumour ECM provided effective protection against chemotherapy agents in several previously studied malignancies. The current study examined the effects of doxorubicin on cells that were migrated into a 3-dimensional extracellular matrix gel (ECM-...

Cartilage extracellular matrix (ECM) is composed primarily of the network type II collagen (COLII) and an interlocking mesh of fibrous proteins and proteoglycans (PGs), hyaluronic acid (HA), and chondroitin sulfate (CS). Articular cartilage ECM plays a crucial role in regulating chondrocyte metabolism and functions, such as organized cytoskeleton through integrin-mediated signaling via cell-mat...

Activated fibroblasts are considered major drivers of fibrotic disease progression through the production of excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) in response to signals from damaged epithelial and inflammatory cells. Nevertheless, epithelial cells are capable of expressing components of the ECM, cross-linking enzymes that increase its stability and are sensitive to factors involved in the early...

Directional mesenchymal cell invasion in vivo is understood to be a stimulated event and to be regulated by cytokines, chemokines, and types of extracellular matrix (ECM). Instead, by focusing on the cellular response to ECM stiffness, we found that soft ECM (low stiffness) itself is sufficient to prevent stable cell-to-cell adherens junction formation, up-regulate matrix metalloproteinase (MMP...

multiple sclerosis (ms) is an autoimmune disease, which is characterized by demyelination and neuroinflammation. extracellular matrix (ecm) have important role in the central nervous system (cns). alterations are happening to the ecm after the cns disorder like ms, alzheimer and other neural injury. tenasin-c (tnc) is a glycoprotein that is highly expressed in inflammatory conditions of the cns...

Cardiac tissue regeneration is guided by stem cells and their microenvironment. It has been recently described that both cardiac stem/primitive cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) change in pathological conditions. This study describes the method for the production of ECM typical of adult human heart in the normal and pathological conditions (ischemic heart disease) and highlights the potentia...

The extracellular matrix (ECM) of the dermis is a critical structural component required for normal wound healing. The ECM, along with its key signaling components, provides the support structure necessary for fibroblasts, immune cells, and keratinocytes. When ECM activity is dysfunctional, the normal wound healing process is compromised, leading to slow, irregular repair, which may result in t...

Fibroblasts can adhere to extracellular matrix (ECM) material by fibronectin-dependent (type I) and fibronectin-independent (type II) mechanisms. In this report we investigate the biochemical characteristics of ECM that contribute to type II adhesion. ECM capable of mediating type II adhesions is produced primarily by normal diploid fibroblasts, but not by transformed cells or epithelial cells....