Surface Patterning of Hydrogel Biomaterials to Probe and Direct Cell-Matrix Interactions

Due to their mechanical and structural similarity to native tissues, hydrogel biomaterials have gained tremendous popularity for applications in 3D tissue culture, therapeutic screening, disease modeling, and regenerative medicine. Recent advances in pre- and post-synthetic processing have afforded anisotropic manipulation of the biochemical, mechanical, and topographical properties of biocompatible gels, increasingly in a dynamic and heterogeneous fashion that mimics natural processes in vivo. Herein, the current state of hydrogel surface patterning to investigate cellular interactions with the surrounding matrix is reviewed, both in techniques utilized and biological findings explored, and the perspective on proposed future directions for the field is offered.