Why grow soft?
科学家一直都在研究用天然的或者合成的基质环境来培养细胞，从而能诱导细胞呈现应有的形态，这是在刚性的培养材质上是做不到的。不幸的是，让细胞生长在柔软的基质里或基质表面不仅价格昂贵，而且是很不切实际的。
Softwell克服了这些挑战。它可以让您高效的研究在柔软的环境下细胞的行为。进一步讲，它提供了不同柔软度的环境，引导您发现不同类型细胞的形态：
干细胞自我更新（Stem cell self-renewal）[1,2]
血统规格（Lineage specification）[3]
癌细胞表性（Cancer cell phenotype）[4,5,6]
纤维化（Fibrosis）[7,8]
肝细胞功能（Hepatocyte function）[9,10,11]
机械敏感性（Mechanosensing）[12,13,14]
引人注目的是，细胞是能够感知环境柔软度的改变并有所响应，您可以看下面这个获奖的电影：机械敏感性（Mechanosensing）。
Soft substrates for stem cells
改变干细胞培养环境的柔软度（matrix stiffness），可以控制干细胞命运。提供给干细胞舒适的柔软度，如下：
促进自我更新：取自小鼠的肌肉干细胞，给其提供最舒适的柔软环境（E=12kPa），如同在体内，有自我更新修复的能力[1]；
维持多能性：在E=0.6kPa的基质上培养小鼠胚胎干细胞，在不添加外源性LIF因子的情况下，仍能形成同源性未分化克隆[2]；
Direct lineage specification：成年人间充质干细胞培养在不同弹性（柔软度）的基质上培养，如E=1，E=11和E43时，分别会直接向神经性，肌源性和成骨性分化[3]。
Matrigen弹性的细胞培养器皿产品介绍，请点击链接：
http://www.qbioscience.com/productShow_625.html
文献如下：
1. Gilbert, P.M. et al. 1Substrate elasticity regulates skeletal muscle stem cell self-renewal in culture. Science 329, 1078-1081 (2010).
2. Chowdhury, F. et al. Soft substrates promote homogeneous self-renewal of embryonic stem cells via downregulating cell-matrix tractions. PLoS ONE 5, e15655 (2010).
3. Engler, A.J., Sen, S., Sweeney, H.L. & Discher, D.E. Matrix elasticity directs stem cell lineage specification. Cell 126, 677-689 (2006).
4. Paszek, M.J. et al. Tensional homeostasis and the malignant phenotype. Cancer Cell 8, 241-254 (2005).
5. Levental, K.R. et al. Matrix crosslinking forces tumor progression by enhancing integrin signaling. Cell 139, 891-906 (2009).
6. Tilghman, R.W. et al. Matrix rigidity regulates cancer cell growth and cellular phenotype. PLoS ONE 5, e12905 (2010).
7. Liu, F. et al. Feedback amplification of fibrosis through matrix stiffening and COX-2 suppression. J. Cell Biol 190, 693-706 (2010).
8. Wipff, P.-J., Rifkin, D.B., Meister, J.-J. & Hinz, B. Myofibroblast contraction activates latent TGF-beta1 from the extracellular matrix. J. Cell Biol 179, 1311-1323 (2007).
9. Georges, P.C. et al. Increased stiffness of the rat liver precedes matrix deposition: implications for fibrosis. Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol 293, G1147-1154 (2007).
10.Li, L. et al. Functional modulation of ES-derived hepatocyte lineage cells via substrate compliance alteration. Ann Biomed Eng 36, 865-876 (2008).
11.Semler, E.J., Lancin, P.A., Dasgupta, A. & Moghe, P.V. Engineering hepatocellular morphogenesis and function via ligand-presenting hydrogels with graded mechanical compliance. Biotechnol. Bioeng 89, 296-307 (2005).
12.Friedland, J.C., Lee, M.H. & Boettiger, D. Mechanically Activated Integrin Switch Controls α5β1 Function. Science 323, 642 -644 (2009).
13.Chan, C.E. & Odde, D.J. Traction dynamics of filopodia on compliant substrates. Science 322, 1687-1691 (2008).
14.Dupont, S. et al. Role of YAP/TAZ in mechanotransduction. Nature 474, 179-183 (2011).
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