Actomyosin-Mediated Cellular Tension Drives Increased Tissue Stiffness and ß-Catenin Activation to Induce Epidermal Hyperplasia and Tumor Growth To determine how actomyosin tension affects tissue homeostasis and tumor development, researchers expressed conditionally active ROCK2 in mouse skin. [Cancer Cell] Mechanical Stiffness Grades Metastatic Potential in Patient Tumor Cells and In Cancer Cell Lines Here researchers apply a magnetic tweezer system to establish that stiffness of patient tumor cells and cancer cell lines inversely correlates with migration and invasion through three-dimensional basement membranes, a correlation known as a power law. [Cancer Res] Controlled Biodegradation of Self-Assembling β-Hairpin Peptide Hydrogels by Proteolysis with Matrix Metalloproteinase-13 Controlled biodegradation specific to matrix metalloproteinase-13 was incorporated into the design of self-assembling β-hairpin peptide hydrogels. [Biomaterials] Network Connectivity, Mechanical Properties and Cell Adhesion for Hyaluronic Acid/PEG Hydrogels The study aimed to explore the influence of the network architecture on the mechanical properties and degradability of HA/PEG gels, and to highlight the relationship between Young’s modulus and cell colonization with a selected architecture. [Biomaterials] The Role of Pore Size on Vascularization and Tissue Remodeling in PEG Hydrogels The goal of this study was to examine the role of pore size on vessel invasion in porous poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) hydrogels. [Biomaterials] Quantification of In Vitro and In Vivo Angiogenesis Stimulated by Ovine Forestomach Matrix Biomaterial As angiogenesis and vasculogenesis are critical processes during tissue regeneration researchers sought to quantify the angiogenic properties of the ovine forestomach matrix biomaterial. [Biomaterials] Gain and Loss of Extracellular Molecules in Sporadic Inclusion Body Myositis and Polymyositis – A Proteomics-Based Study Sporadic IBM contains non-necrotic myofibers that are surrounded and/or invaded by inflammatory cells. In this study researchers aimed to identify selective molecules that are present at this site. [Brain Pathol] Versican V1 Isoform Regulates Cell-Associated Matrix Formation and Cell Behavior Differentially from Aggrecan in Swarm Rat Chondrosarcoma Cells The observations suggest that versican expression may serve as a marker of tumor grade determination in chondrosarcoma, and possibly help to decide on therapeutic targets in higher grades of chondrosarcoma. [Int J Cancer] FAP-Overexpressing Fibroblasts Produce an Extracellular Matrix that Enhances Invasive Velocity and Directionality of Pancreatic Cancer Cells Researchers tested the hypothesis that fibroblast activation protein enzymatic activity locally modifies stromal extracellular matrix components thus facilitating the formation of a permissive microenvironment promoting tumor invasion in human pancreatic cancer. [BMC Cancer] |