Editing Extracellular matrix (section)

====Effect on differentiation====
ECM elasticity can direct [[cellular differentiation]], the process by which a cell changes from one cell type to another. In particular, naive [[mesenchymal stem cells]] (MSCs) have been shown to specify lineage and commit to phenotypes with extreme sensitivity to tissue-level elasticity. MSCs placed on soft matrices that mimic the brain differentiate into [[neuron]]-like cells, showing similar shape, [[RNAi]] profiles, cytoskeletal markers, and [[transcription factor]] levels. Similarly stiffer matrices that mimic muscle are myogenic, and matrices with stiffnesses that mimic collagenous bone are osteogenic.<ref name="EnglerAJ"/>