Extracellular Matrix in Engineered Microenvironments for 3D Cell Culture, Tissue Reconstruction, and Disease Modelling In Vitro - 2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

The first volume of this Special Issue provided a comprehensive overview of the recent advances in engineered three-dimensional (3D) microenvironments for cell culture, tissue engineering, and regenerative medicine applications. Now, we are excited to announce the second volume, “Extracellular Matrix in Engineered Microenvironments for 3D Cell Culture, Tissue Reconstruction, and Disease Modelling In Vitro,” which aims to explore the critical role of the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the tissue-specific microenvironments reconstructed in vitro. This volume will provide a snapshot of cutting-edge research in the emerging field that integrates the scientific findings of matrix biology with methodological advances and applications of tissue engineering.

 The ECM is an essential component of tissues. It profoundly influences cellular behaviour, signalling, and tissue growth during normal development, regeneration and in the course of various diseases. In this Special Issue, we will explore how the ECM can be represented or mimicked in the engineered microenvironments for 3D cell culture and how ECM and ECM-mimicking materials contribute to the advancement of tissue reconstruction and disease modelling in vitro.

We look forward to receiving your contributions and building upon the knowledge and advancements in the field of ECM-driven and ECM-inspired engineered microenvironments for 3D cell culture and disease modelling in vitro. We encourage researchers from various disciplines, including bioengineering, cell biology, and experimental and regenerative medicine, to contribute original research articles, technical notes, reviews, and perspectives to this volume.

This volume seeks to address several key topics and themes, including but not limited to the following:

• ECM-based and ECM-mimicking cell culture substrates in 3D engineered microenvironments in vitro; the impact of their structural, mechanical, and biochemical properties on cell behaviour and disease progression.
• Characterisation and the dynamic changes in ECM composition and spatial organisation during disease progression explored using advanced in vitro models.
• Disease-specific 3D engineered microenvironments; quantitative analysis of the biological accuracy of the 3D in vitro models.
• The roles of ECM-mediated signalling and cell–ECM interactions in disease mechanisms.
• In vitro models of fibrosis, inflammation, desmoplastic tumours, connective tissue dysplasia, and other physiological and pathological processes that play a significant role in the ECM.
• Novel treatments that target ECM or ECM-based signalling mechanisms evidenced using 3D in vitro culture systems.
• Disease-specific matrisome and cell surface glycosylation; biochemical, structural and computational data for in vitro disease modelling.
• ECM and personalised medicine; the incorporation of patient-specific ECM components in 3D engineered microenvironments for 3D cell culture, tissue engineering and disease modelling.
• Advanced characterisation techniques for the analysis of ECM and ECM-mimicking biomaterials.

Kind regards,

Dr. Anna E. Guller
Collection Editor

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• extracellular matrix
• matrisome
• cell surface glycosylation
• engineered microenvironment
• scaffolds
• biomimetics
• cell–ECM interactions
• ECM targeting
• fibrosis
• connective tissue dysplasia
• cancer
• 3D cell culture
• tissue engineering
• disease modeling
• regenerative medicine