Review: Roles of Microenvironment and Mechanical Forces in Cell and Tissue Remodeling

This article provides a brief review of current research in cellular and tissue biomechanics, with an emphasis on the roles of the extracellular matrix and external forces on cell and tissue remodeling. In this rapidly developing interdisciplinary field, molecular biology, biochemistry, material science, biomedical engineering, and clinical medicine are integrated to understand intracellular signal transduction, gene regulation, tissue remodeling, and functional restoration or regeneration of injured or degenerated tissues and organs. Analysis of the responses to various types of externally applied force over a range of magnitude scales has helped to elucidate how cells sense external forces and respond to microenvironments from the single cell to tissue levels, from the micro to marco scales, and from two dimensions to three dimensions.