Emergence of tissue-like mechanics from fibrous networks confined by close-packed cells

• Published in: Nature (London) Vol. 573; no. 7772; pp. 96 - 101
• Main Authors: van Oosten, Anne S. G., Chen, Xingyu, Chin, LiKang, Cruz, Katrina, Patteson, Alison E., Pogoda, Katarzyna, Shenoy, Vivek B., Janmey, Paul A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.09.2019; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 13/106; 631/57/2268; 639/301/54/994; 639/301/923/1027; 639/301/923/1029; 639/766/747; Adipose Tissue - cytology; Adipose Tissue - metabolism; Analysis; Animals; Biomaterials; Biomechanical Phenomena; Biomedical materials; Biopolymers; Biopolymers - chemistry; Blood clots; Blood Coagulation; Blood platelets; Brain; Cell adhesion & migration; Cell Count; Cell Line; Collagen; Composite materials; Compression; Crosslinking; Cytoskeleton; Deformation resistance; Elasticity; Emergence; Erythrocytes - cytology; Extracellular matrix; Extracellular Matrix - metabolism; Fibrin - chemistry; Fibrin - metabolism; Fibroblasts; Fibroblasts - cytology; Gels; Glioma - pathology; Histology; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Hypotheses; Inclusions; Letter; Male; Mechanical properties; Mechanics; Mechanics (physics); Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Models, Biological; multidisciplinary; Polymer gels; Polymers; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Rheological properties; Rheology; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Shear deformation; Shear strain; Soft tissues; Stiffening; Stiffness; Strain; Strain hardening; Switches; Switching theory; Tissues; Viscoelasticity; United States
• ISSN: 0028-0836; 1476-4687; 1476-4687
• DOI: 10.1038/s41586-019-1516-5

The viscoelasticity of the crosslinked semiflexible polymer networks—such as the internal cytoskeleton and the extracellular matrix—that provide shape and mechanical resistance against deformation is assumed to dominate tissue mechanics. However, the mechanical responses of soft tissues and semiflex...