Recapitulating the Micromechanical Behavior of Tension and Shear in a Biomimetic Hydrogel for Controlling Tenocyte Response.

A fiber composite system is presented which recapitulates the fiber-composite-like nature of tissues and generates similar modes of shear and tension. The shear/tension ratio can be customized during composite manufacture and incorporates viable cells. The system is a valuable tool for mechanotransduction research, providing a platform with physiologically relevant conditions for investigating cell behavior in different tissue types.