Bioengineered polymeric substrata to probe cell behavior during vascular remodeling

Restenosis is a major problem that occurs in a large number of surgical procedures for the treatment of occlusive arterial disease (e.g bypass, stents, and angioplasty). Restenosis occurs as a consequence of vascular injury caused by the surgical procedure and results in undesirable vascular remodeling during which (1) smooth muscle cells switch from a contractile, quiescent phenotype to a proliferative, migratory phenotype, and (2) fibroblasts exert increased tractional forces. These phenomena are the result of distinct compositional and structural changes in the surrounding extracellular environment. Collectively, these processes lead to narrowing of the vessel. It has been shown that cell behavior is dependent on the structural, mechanical, and chemical properties of the substrate. We therefore utilize tools from polymer and surface science, bioinformatics, molecular biology, and microtechnology to engineer substrata in order to systematically study the effects of substrate compliance and adhesivity on cell traction and motility. To date, we have found direct correlations between cell shape, traction, and motility with the adhesive properties of the substrate.