ERC Starting Grant · 2019
Dynamic regulation of tissue response by matrix viscoelasticity
The mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM) regulate processes during development, cancer and wound healing. The vast majority of research efforts in this field have been focused on ECM’s elasticity as a leading determinant of cell and tissue behaviour. However, the ECM is not merely elastic but is instead both viscous and elastic. Due to its viscoelastic nature, the ECM response to mechanical loads is inherently dynamic and evolves with time, independently of matrix degradation or remodelling. Despite the universality of ECM’s viscoelasticity, how viscoelasticity affects tissue function is unknown. Based on our preliminary data, cellular behaviour diverges significantly…
From the public funding record at EU CORDIS. Describes the funded project, not the reviews below.