Building Blood Vessels and Beyond Using Bubbles

Introduction The axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum), a type of salamander (see tinyurl.com/59u26vdm), has an incredible ability to regenerate entire limbs and other body parts that become damaged. Although humans are unable to match the axolotl, the capability of the human body to repair wounds is ultimately critical for our survival. Wound healing is a complex process driven by cells initially present at the wound site as well as cells that migrate into the wound environment. In general, cell behavior is guided by biochemical and biophysical “cues” in the local environment. Biochemical cues (e.g., proteins) are molecular in nature, whereas biophysical cues (e.g., stiffness) are mechanical and/or structural characteristics of the environment surrounding a cell. In the human body, the extracellular matrix is the environment surrounding each cell within solid tissue and contains large molecules like proteins and carbohydrates.