July 2026 in “bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)” This study identified a new FAK isoform, FAKΔe4, which is regulated by ECM stiffness and affects cell migration, invasion, and mechanosensing in human-derived data and engineered models.
September 2024 in “MedComm” This study by Bansaccal et al. found that skin with higher levels of type I collagen density and elasticity in the dermis can inhibit basal cell carcinoma development and spread by acting as a natural barrier against cell reprogramming in mice.
34 citations
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July 2018 in “American Journal of Physiology-heart and Circulatory Physiology” Minoxidil improves blood flow and vessel flexibility, potentially helping with vascular stiffness.
3 citations
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November 2020 in “PubMed” This study observed that bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells cultured in three-dimensionally bioprinted hydrogels with higher stiffness, like 3A8G, tend to differentiate more into hair follicle cells compared to those in less stiff hydrogels, like 1A4G.
24 citations
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November 2023 in “Nature” In this study, researchers demonstrated that the expression of the oncogene SmoM2 leads to basal cell carcinoma in the ear epidermis of mice but not in the back skin, with differences in susceptibility linked to the composition of the extracellular matrix.