Multipotent Mesenchymal Stromal Cells and Extracellular Matrix: Regulation under Hypoxia

Abstract

Over the past 20 years a significant data have been accumulated indicating that the extracellular matrix (ECM) is not just an inert substrate. The ECM acts as a multifunctional dynamic compartment that regulates the functions of various cell systems, including niches of stem and progenitor cells. The ECM is a complex network of macromolecules with different physical and biochemical properties. ECM production, deposition, and degradation play an important role in both physiological and reparative tissue remodeling. ECM biology is therefore of considerable interest for elucidating the mechanisms that govern various tissue niches in vivo and producing ECMs ex vivo for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The review summarizes current knowledge about the role that an important microenvironmental factor—tissue oxygen level (“physiological” hypoxia) plays in the biology of the ECM of stromal lineage cells.