Using an original microfabrication-based technique, we experimentally study situations in
which a virgin surface is presented to a confluent epithelium with no damage made to the cells…

Cell migration plays a major role in many fundamental biological processes, such as
morphogenesis, tumor metastasis, and wound healing. As they anchor and pull on their …

The role of geometrical confinement on collective cell migration has been recognized but has
not been elucidated yet. Here, we show that the geometrical properties of the environment …

The way in which cells coordinate their behaviours during various biological processes,
including morphogenesis, cancer progression and tissue remodelling, largely depends on the …

Morphogenesis, tumor formation, and wound healing are regulated by tissue rigidity. Focal
adhesion behavior is locally regulated by stiffness; however, how cells globally adapt, detect, …

The traction forces developed by cells depend strongly on the substrate rigidity. In this letter,
we characterize quantitatively this effect on MDCK epithelial cells by using a microfabricated …

Increasing evidence suggests that mechanical cues inherent to the extracellular matrix may
be as important as its chemical nature in regulating cell behavior. Here, the response of cells …

The physical properties of the cellular environment are involved in regulating the formation
and maintenance of tissues. In particular, substrate rigidity appears to be a key factor …

Fundamental biological processes such as morphogenesis and wound healing involve the
closure of epithelial gaps. Epithelial gap closure is commonly attributed either to the purse-…

Matrix rigidity sensing regulates a large variety of cellular processes and has important
implications for tissue development and disease. However, how cells probe matrix rigidity, and …