ArticleBiomaterials science2019
Macromolecular crowding tunes 3D collagen architecture and cell morphogenesis.
Article in Biomaterials science, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 31 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
31 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 62 citations in OpenAlex.
- Macromolecular Crowding in Cytoplasm and Cellular Organelles.Sub-cellular biochemistry · 2025Pooled it
- Mechanical cues of an interpenetrating polysaccharide matrix regulate self-assembly of collagen fibers.Science advances · 2026Article
- Adipose-mimetic granular hydrogels uncover biophysical cues driving breast cancer invasion.Cell biomaterials · 2026Article
- Cell flocculation and phase-separation support macro-scale tissue slab construction in a scaffold-free manner.Materials today. Bio · 2026Article
- Probing the physical hallmarks of cancer.Nature methods · 2025Review
- Tuning collagen nonlinear mechanics with interpenetrating networks drives adaptive cellular phenotypes in three dimensions.Science advances · 2025Article
- Underestimated role of macromolecular crowding in bioengineeredMaterials today. Bio · 2025Article
- Matrix degradation enhances stress relaxation, regulating cell adhesion and spreading.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025Article
- Global versus local matrix remodeling drives rotational versus invasive collective migration of epithelial cells.Developmental cell · 2025Article
- Article
- Divergent iron regulatory states contribute to heterogeneity in breast cancer aggressiveness.iScience · 2024Article
- Modeling collagen fibril degradation as a function of matrix microarchitecture.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024Article
- Degradability tunes ECM stress relaxation and cellular mechanics.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2024Article
- The importance of 3D fibre architecture in cancer and implications for biomaterial model design.Nature reviews. Cancer · 2024Review
- Adhesion tunes speed and persistence by coordinating protrusions and extracellular matrix remodeling.Developmental cell · 2023Article
- Deformability and collision-induced reorientation enhance cell topotaxis in dense microenvironments.Biophysical journal · 2023Article
- Biophysical cues of in vitro biomaterials-based artificial extracellular matrix guide cancer cell plasticity.Materials today. Bio · 2023Article
- Brain Cancer Cell-Derived Matrices and Effects on Astrocyte Migration.Cells, tissues, organs · 2023Article
- Application of an angiogenesis-related genes risk model in lung adenocarcinoma prognosis and immunotherapy.Frontiers in genetics · 2023Article
- Highway toFrontiers in pharmacology · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 1 institution in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
Collagen I is the primary extracellular matrix component of most solid tumors and influences metastatic progression. Collagen matrix engineering techniques are useful for understanding how this complex biomaterial regulates cancer cell behavior and for improving in vitro cancer models. Here, we establish an approach to tune collagen fibril architecture using PEG as an inert molecular crowding agent during gelation and cell embedding. We find that crowding produces matrices with tighter fibril networks that are less susceptible to proteinase mediated degradation, but does not significantly alter matrix stiffness. The resulting matrices have the effect of preventing cell spreading, confining cells, and reducing cell contractility. Matrix degradability and fibril length are identified as strong predictors of cell confinement. Further, the degree of confinement predicts whether breast cancer cells will ultimately undergo individual or collective behaviors. Highly confined breast cancer cells undergo morphogenesis to form either invasive networks reminiscent of aggressive tumors or gland and lobule structures reminiscent of normal breast epithelia. This morphological transition is accompanied by expression of cell-cell adhesion genes, including PECAM1 and ICAM1. Our study suggests that cell confinement, mediated by matrix architecture, is a design feature that tunes the transcriptional and morphogenic state of breast cancer cells.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.