The past 20 years have witnessed ever-growing evidence that the mechanical properties of
biological tissues, from nanoscale to macroscale dimensions, are fundamental for cellular …

The biochemical and biophysical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) dictate tissue-
specific cell behaviour. The molecules that are associated with the ECM of each tissue …

Collagens are the most abundant proteins in mammals. The collagen family comprises 28
members that contain at least one triple-helical domain. Collagens are deposited in the …

In the process of matrix assembly, multivalent extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins are
induced to self-associate and to interact with other ECM proteins to form fibrillar networks …

The intrinsic pathogenetic mechanisms of tendinopathies are largely unknown and whether
inflammation or degeneration has the prominent role is still a matter of debate. Assuming …

Proteins are the fundamental building blocks for high-performance materials in nature. Such
materials fulfill structural roles, as in the case of silk and collagen, and can generate active …

As dense connective tissues connecting bone to muscle and bone to bone, respectively,
tendon and ligament (T/L) arise from the somitic mesoderm, originating in a recently …

Injury and degeneration of tendon, the soft tissue that mechanically links muscle and bone,
can cause substantial pain and loss of function. This review discusses the composition and …

The scleraxis (Scx) gene, encoding a bHLH transcription factor, is expressed in the
progenitors and cells of all tendon tissues. To determine Scx function, we produced a mutant …

Small leucine‐rich proteoglycans (SLRP s) are involved in a variety of biological and
pathological processes. This review focuses on their regulatory roles in matrix assembly …