Morphological Effects of the Microenvironment Structure on Human Fetal Lung Fibroblast Cells

The Extracellular Matrix (ECM) provides physical and chemical cues that regulate cell behavior and influence cellular function in tissue formation and homeostasis. In recent years, the importance of the ECM microenvironment on cells has been emphasized with research tracking changes due to injury, disease and treatments. Using texture and shape feature analysis, collagen, an important structural protein of the ECM, was characterized in different ECM microenvironments. Additionally, Human Fetal Lung Fibroblast (HFL) cells morphology alterations due to changes in microenvironment were studied. The analysis involved tracking changes in a static, mechanically stimulated, and 3D bioprinted microenvironment. Results indicated that the ECM may trigger signals that control essential physiological processes and cell activity, such as differentiation, adhesion, and migration. Additional assays (e.g., methods to protein and gene expression) are required, but this valuable information provides an opportunity to explore disease development in different tissues, and treatment strategies of chronic diseases.