Tissue Stresses and Strains Help Scientists Model 3D Shapes

A team of researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has applied relatively simple tissue modeling and cell patterning techniques to generate highly precise 3D shapes, including bowls, coils, and ripples, out of living human and mouse tissues. Zev J. Gartner, Ph.D.,  and colleagues say the method, which involves patterning mechanically active cells to thin layers of extracellular matrix (ECM) fibers, could help bioengineers create in vitro tissues for applications in