Outside-In Signaling: Immune regulation by biomaterial mimetics of the extravascular spac

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is the protein rich system that induces cellular behavior in response to microenvironmental cues. In disease models of sepsis, interstitial lung disease, and arthritis, we understand that a provisional extracellular matrix is created in the affected tissue, altering matrix driven signals and subsequent cell activity in response to the newly modified microenvironment. Through the development of polymer based ECM mimetics, we can dissect the role of individual bioactive domains within each ECM protein, to elucidate the changes in cellular behavior that can be attributed to cellECM binding interactions. Further, we can identify individual functional domains within proteins that will contribute to control of leukocyte adhesion, migration, oxidant generation, differentiation and survival in inflammatory disorders. Our findings can be translated directly to therapeutic treatments for wound healing, chronic infection, and lymphomas