Decellularized extracellular matrix hydrogels – cell behavior as function of matrix stiffness

Abstract Cells in their native environment are exposed to a milieu of biochemical and physical forces. Cellular physiology and function are affected by dynamic cell – cell and cell – matrixinteractions and communication. Cells bind to the cellular or matrixcomponents through receptors, causing changes in the cytoskeleton, which is then translated into information that controls cell behavior such as cellular proliferation, differentiation or migration. Physical properties like matrixstiffness and micro- and nano-topographies play an important role in determining cell behavior. This review explores the effect of matrixstiffness on cell behavior, especially when using decellularized extracellular matrixhydrogels as scaffolds for tissue regeneration. Since the mechanical strength of decellularized extracellular matrixhydrogels is lower than that of native tissue, tuning these properties to achieve conditions similar to the in vivo microenvironment can improve the performance of the decellularized extracellular matrixhydrogels as scaffolds in tissue engineering.