Physical stimulation in tissue-engineering

The tissues in our body are complex three-dimensional structures, each with its own unique combination of cells and extracellular matrix. The activities of the resident cells are co-ordinated by signals that they receive from soluble factors and neighbouring cells, but also by physical cues provided by the composition, architecture and mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix. They are further subject to a range of dynamic physical cues including tension, compression and fluid shear stress as we undergo our daily activities. Via mechanotransduction, these cues are interpreted by the cell to control processes including viability, migration and differentiation. As the impact of such physical stimuli is becoming increasingly clear, so are the opportunities to harness these factors for tissue-engineering.

In this chapter, we provide an overview of the range of physical factors that are sensed by cells and the processes of mechanotransduction by which this information is received and interpreted. We further examine how physical cues impact upon bone, cartilage and tendon formation and how this knowledge can be applied to direct cell behaviour and promote tissue formation for tissue-engineering.