The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a significant factor in cancer progression. Collagens, as the
main component of the ECM, are greatly remodeled alongside cancer development. More …

Topography of the extracellular environment is now recognized as a major biophysical
regulator of cell behavior and function. The study of the influence of patterned substrates on …

Many tissues in vivo exhibit structural anisotropy, which endows them with orientation-
specific properties and functions. Structurally anisotropic hydrogels have emerged as …

Abnormal architectures of collagen fibers in the extracellular matrix (ECM) are hallmarks of
many invasive diseases, including cancer. Targeting specific stages of collagen assembly in …

Cell alignment and elongation in the direction of anisotropic and aligned topographies are
key manifestations of cellular contact guidance and are observed in many cell types …

Hydrogels are widely used as substrates to investigate interactions between cells and their
microenvironment as they mimic many attributes of the extracellular matrix. The stiffness of …

Contact guidance—the widely known phenomenon of cell alignment induced by anisotropic
environmental features—is an essential step in the organization of adherent cells, but the …

Cancer cell metastasis is responsible for approximately 90% of deaths related to cancer.
The migration of cancer cells away from the primary tumor and into healthy tissue is driven in …

Many biological and physiological processes depend upon directed migration of cells, which
is typically mediated by chemical or physical gradients or by signal relay. Here we show that …

Metastasizing tumor cells migrate through the surrounding tissue and extracellular matrix
toward the blood vessels, in order to colonize distant organs. They typically move in a dense …