Special Issue "Mechanics of Cells in Context with Biomaterials"

Guest Editor
Dr. Edie C. Goldsmith
Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Columbia, SC 29209, USA
Website: http://dba.med.sc.edu/faculty/goldsmith_res.htm
E-Mail: ediegold@uscmed.sc.edu
Interests: cardiac fibroblasts; collagen remodeling; extracellular matrix; nanomaterials

Dear Colleagues,

With advances in tissue engineering and the goal of developing patches and/or replacement tissues which seamlessly integrate within the native environment, understanding how cells interact with and respond to natural or engineered matrices is crucial for directing cell behavior. Cells are mechanically complex; exhibiting viscoelastic behavior, deforming in response to externally applied mechanical stimuli and regulating dynamic changes cytoskeletal components which contribute to cellular material properties. The mechanical properties of cells are not only dependent upon the cell itself, but also on the local environment. The extracellular matrix, which surrounds cells in their native environment, provides fundamental cues which drive a multitude of cellular functions including differentiation, migration and proliferation. For example, the response of stem cells to the mechanical stiffness of the extracellular matrix has been shown to direct their differentiation down specific lineages. This issue of The Journal of Functional Biomaterials will highlight advances in our understanding of how cells interact with and mechanically probe their environment. Of particular interest are articles which describe methods for assessing cell-matrix interactions or articles dealing with measuring mechanical properties of individual cells or small cell populations. The development of model systems which will allow for the evaluation of environmental factors which effect cell mechanics are also of great interest.

Dr. Edie C. Goldsmith
Guest Editor

Submission

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. Papers will be published continuously (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are refereed through a peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Functional Biomaterials is an international peer-reviewed Open Access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 300 CHF (Swiss Francs). English correction and/or formatting fees of 250 CHF (Swiss Francs) will be charged in certain cases for those articles accepted for publication that require extensive additional formatting and/or English corrections.

• cell mechanics
• xxtracellular matrix
• biopolymers/biomaterials
• models
• mechanotransduction
• deformation
• cell adhesion
• atomic force microscopy