Initial Fiber Alignment Pattern Alters Extracellular Matrix Synthesis in Fibroblast-Populated Fibrin Gel Cruciforms and Correlates with Predicted Tension
Human dermal fibroblasts entrapped in fibrin gels cast in cross-shaped (cruciform) geometries with 1:1 and 1:0.5 ratios of arm widths were studied to assess whether tension and alignment of the cells and fibrils affected ECM deposition. The cruciforms of contrasting geometry (symmetric vs. asymmetric), which developed different fiber alignment patterns, were harvested at 2, 5, and 10 weeks of culture. Cruciforms were subjected to planar biaxial testing, polarimetric imaging, DNA and biochemical analyses, histological staining, and SEM imaging. As the cruciforms compacted and developed fiber alignment, fibrin was degraded, and elastin and collagen were produced in a geometry-dependent manner. Using a continuum mechanical model that accounts for direction-dependent stress due to cell traction forces and cell contact guidance with aligned fibers that occurs in the cruciforms, the mechanical stress environment was concluded to influence collagen deposition, with deposition being the greatest in the narrow arms of the asymmetric cruciform where stress was predicted to be the largest.
This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 1. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 20 May 2012.
All research outputs
#17,729,864
of 25,986,827 outputs
Outputs from Annals of Biomedical Engineering
#2
of 2 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#90,160
of 111,345 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Annals of Biomedical Engineering
#3
of 3 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 25,986,827 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 21st percentile – i.e., 21% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 2 research outputs from this source. They receive a mean Attention Score of 4.0. This one scored the same or higher as 0 of them.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 111,345 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one is in the 11th percentile – i.e., 11% of its contemporaries scored the same or lower than it.
We're also able to compare this research output to 3 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one.
