Epithelial Cell Mechanoresponse to Matrix Viscoelasticity and Confinement Within Micropatterned Viscoelastic Hydrogels (Adv. Sci. 18/2025)

Micropatterned Viscoelastic Hydrogels Mountains, representing elastic solids, and rivers, representing viscous fluids, illustrate the concept of viscoelasticity. Cell-like kayaks navigate narrow rivers on a hydrogel-like terrain, evoking confinement within viscoelastic environments. This image offers a glimpse into the study described in article number 2408635 where Manuel Salmeron-Sanchez, Sylvain Gabriele, and workers developed micropatterned viscoelastic hydrogels with narrow adhesive protein tracks to investigate how extracellular matrix viscoelasticity and spatial confinement regulate epithelial cell mechanobiology.