# Epithelial cell mechanoresponse to matrix viscoelasticity and confinement within micropatterned viscoelastic hydrogels
**Source**: https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/347137/
**Parent**: https://www.gla.ac.uk/postgraduate/research/cellengineering/
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# Epithelial cell mechanoresponse to matrix viscoelasticity and confinement within micropatterned viscoelastic hydrogels
[Ciccone, Giuseppe](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/49161.html), [Azevedo Gonzalez Oliva, Mariana](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/63949.html), Versaevel, Marie, [Cantini, Marco](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/30437.html) [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0326-1508](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0326-1508), [Vassalli, Massimo](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/51777.html) [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3063-4376](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3063-4376), [Salmeron-Sanchez, Manuel](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/30067.html) [ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8112-2100](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8112-2100) and Gabriele, Sylvain
(2025)
Epithelial cell mechanoresponse to matrix viscoelasticity and confinement within micropatterned viscoelastic hydrogels.
*[Advanced Science](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/journal_volume/Advanced_Science.html)*, 12(18),
2408635.
(doi: [10.1002/advs.202408635](https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202408635))
(PMID:[39950757](https://europepmc.org/abstract/MED/39950757))
(PMCID:[PMC12079340](https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC12079340))
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| | [Text](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/347137/2/347137.pdf) 347137.pdf - Published Version Available under License [Creative Commons Attribution](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). 5MB |
## Abstract
Extracellular matrix (ECM) viscoelasticity has emerged as a potent regulator of physiological and pathological processes, including cancer progression. Spatial confinement within the ECM is also known to influence cell behavior in these contexts. However, the interplay between matrix viscoelasticity and spatial confinement in driving epithelial cell mechanotransduction is not well understood, as it relies on experiments employing purely elastic hydrogels. This work presents an innovative approach to fabricate and micropattern viscoelastic polyacrylamide hydrogels with independently tuneable Young's modulus and stress relaxation, specifically designed to mimic the mechanical properties observed during breast tumor progression, transitioning from a soft dissipative tissue to a stiff elastic one. Using this platform, this work demonstrates that matrix viscoelasticity differentially modulates breast epithelial cell spreading, adhesion, YAP nuclear import and cell migration, depending on the initial stiffness of the matrix. Furthermore, by imposing spatial confinement through micropatterning, this work demonstrates that confinement alters cellular responses to viscoelasticity, including cell spreading, mechanotransduction and migration. These findings establish ECM viscoelasticity as a key regulator of epithelial cell mechanoresponse and highlight the critical role of spatial confinement in soft, dissipative ECMs, which was a previously unexplored aspect.
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| Item Type: | Articles |
| Additional Information: | G.C. acknowledges financial support from the UKRI for PhD funding, the Research Institute for Biosciences (UMONS)for the invitation grant and EMBO for the scientific exchange grant#10122 that made this collaborative work possible. S.G. acknowledges funding from FEDER Prostem Research Project no. 1510614 (Wallonia DG06), the F.R.S.-FNRS Epiforce Project no. T.0092.21, the F.R.S.-FNRS Cell Squeezer Project no. J.0061.23, the F.R.S.-FNRS Optopattern Project no. U.NO26.22 and the Interreg MAT(T)ISSE Project, which is fi-nancially supported by Interreg France-Wallonie-Vlaanderen (Fonds Eu-ropéen de Développement Régional, FEDER-ERDF), Programme Wallon d’Investissement Région Wallone pour les instruments d’imagerie(INSTIMAG UMONS #1910169). M.S-S. is grateful for financial sup-port from the European Research Council AdG (Devise, 101054728).IBEC is member of CERCA Programme / Generalitat de Catalunya. M.C. acknowledges funding from MRC (MR/S005412/1) and Royal Society(RGS/R1/231400). |
| Keywords: | Viscoelasticity, extracellular matrix, hydrogels, micropatterning, confinement. |
| Status: | Published |
| Refereed: | Yes |
| Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | [Salmeron-Sanchez, Professor Manuel](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/30067.html) and [Azevedo Gonzalez Oliva, Dr Mariana](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/63949.html) and [CICCONE, Mr GIUSEPPE](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/49161.html) and [Vassalli, Professor Massimo](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/51777.html) and [Cantini, Dr Marco](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/30437.html) |
| Authors: | [Ciccone, G.](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/49161.html), [Azevedo Gonzalez Oliva, M.](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/63949.html), Versaevel, M., [Cantini, M.](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/30437.html), [Vassalli, M.](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/51777.html), [Salmeron-Sanchez, M.](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/author/30067.html), and Gabriele, S. |
| College/School: | [College of Science and Engineering](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/divisions/30000000/) > [School of Engineering](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/divisions/30300000/) [College of Science and Engineering](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/divisions/30000000/) > [School of Engineering](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/divisions/30300000/) > [Biomedical Engineering](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/divisions/30303000/) |
| Journal Name: | [Advanced Science](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/journal_volume/Advanced_Science.html) |
| Publisher: | Wiley |
| ISSN: | 2198-3844 |
| ISSN (Online): | 2198-3844 |
| Published Online: | 14 February 2025 |
| Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2025 The Author(s) |
| First Published: | First published in Advanced Science 12(18):e2408635 |
| Publisher Policy: | Reproduced under a Creative Commons license |
University Staff: [Request a correction](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/cgi/request_correction?eprintid=347137) | Enlighten Editors: [Update this record](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/cgi/users/home?screen=EPrint::View&eprintid=347137)
Funder and Project Information
[Funder and Project Information](#)
[Funder and Project Information](#)
Project Code
Award No
Project Name
Principal Investigator
Funder's Name
Funder Ref
Lead Dept
[303613](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/project_code/303613.html)
Engineered microenvironments to harvest stem cell response to viscosity for cartilage repair
Marco Cantini
[Medical Research Council (MRC)](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/funder/Medical_Research_Council_=28MRC=29.html)
MR/S005412/1
ENG - Biomedical Engineering
[315918](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/project_code/315918.html)
DEVISE - Engineered viscoelasticity in regenerative microenvironments
Manuel Salmeron-Sanchez
[EPSRC EU Guarantee (EPSRCEU)](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/funder/EPSRC_EU_Guarantee_=28EPSRCEU=29.html)
101054728
ENG - Biomedical Engineering
[320080](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/project_code/320080.html)
Harnessing viscoelasticity for regenerative medicine
Marco Cantini
[The Royal Society (ROYSOC)](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/view/funder/The_Royal_Society_=28ROYSOC=29.html)
RGS/R1/231400
ENG - Biomedical Engineering
Deposit and Record Details
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[Deposit and Record Details](#)
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| --- | --- |
| ID Code: | 347137 |
| Depositing User: | [Mr Alastair Arthur](https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/profile/29814) |
| Datestamp: | 03 Feb 2025 13:35 |
| Last Modified: | 25 Jun 2025 08:46 |
| Date of acceptance: | 31 January 2025 |
| Date of first online publication: | 14 February 2025 |
| Date Deposited: | 3 February 2025 |
| Data Availability Statement: | Yes |
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