Cells within these tissues establish the ECM during development, maintain it in health, remodel it during adaptations, and repair it in response to disease and injury 1. Conversely, the ECM influences many cellular functions, including migration, growth, differentiation, and even survival 2. This reciprocal relationship was recognized over 30 years ago and has remained a central concept in cell biology 3. Importantly, cell-matrix interactions not only involve the chemical composition and structural organization of the ECM, but also its mechanical properties. Thus, cells must sense and regulate ECM mechanics to promote mechanical homeostasis, that is, to maintain tissue-level structural integrity and functionality. Mechanical loads acting on a tissue are perceived by resident cells as stimuli that are transmitted through, or exerted on, constituents of the extracellular matrix, matrix receptors, and intracellular structures.
