Integration of cell clustering regulation and biomaterials in tissue repair and tumor management

The regulation of cell clustering, particularly at the intersection with biomaterials science, has emerged as a rapidly evolving frontier in biomedical research, crucial for advancing tissue regeneration technologies and therapeutic strategies for complex diseases. Recent breakthroughs indicate that dynamic intercellular interactions mediated by clustering phenomena significantly influence cell migration, proliferation, differentiation, and immune microenvironment remodeling. When cells perceive external signals such as inflammatory cues, growth factor gradients, mechanical stress, and stimulation by biomaterial interfaces, they cooperatively adjust their clustering state. This regulatory paradigm provides researchers with novel frameworks for precision tissue repair, pathological remodeling, and targeted clearance of abnormal cells.

However, in clinical and translational contexts, our mechanistic understanding of how to fully leverage cell clustering effects remains incomplete. On one hand, collective cell migration is not an isolated cellular behavior; its dysregulation or dysfunction directly contributes to the pathology of various diseases, including malignancies, chronic inflammatory disorders, and impaired tissue repair. For instance, tumor cells enhance invasive and metastatic potential through collective migration, excessive clustering of immune cells exacerbates inflammatory damage in chronic inflammatory diseases, and diminished clustering capacity hinders wound healing in tissue repair disorders. On the other hand, significant research gaps persist in designing functional materials to modulate such intercellular interactions and in evaluating the long-term impacts of these interventions on tissue homeostasis.

Against this background, this research theme aims to explore the mechanisms, regulation, and technological applications of cell clustering in regenerative medicine and complex tumor and immune therapies, with a core focus on biomaterials. By addressing fundamental questions related to the molecular and cellular networks underlying cell clustering, this study seeks to develop optimized strategies for "clustering-mediated tissue repair, tumor invasion, and immune regulation." The overarching goal is to foster interdisciplinary collaboration across cell biology, biomaterials engineering, and translational medicine, accelerating the translation of mechanistic insights into innovative clinical applications. Specific objectives include elucidating regulatory networks governing cell clustering, developing engineered platforms for collective cell control, and optimizing biomaterial properties to guide directed multicellular functions in complex biological environments.

To ensure focused yet comprehensive exploration while addressing diseases driven by dysregulated collective cell migration, this research theme will center on "Biomaterial-Related Advances in the Regulation of Cell Clustering for Tissue Regeneration, Tumor Therapy, and Immune Microenvironment Remodeling." Contributions may include, but are not limited to, the following topics:
1. Regulatory networks and signaling pathways governing cell clustering in physiological and pathological microenvironments, including modulation by biomaterial properties and interfaces
2. Applications of biomaterial-facilitated cell clustering in wound repair, organ regeneration, and tissue engineering
3. Innovative strategies for targeted modulation of cell clustering, such as drug delivery systems, biomaterial design, and engineering technologies
4. Dynamic roles and interventional approaches for clustered cell populations (e.g., tumor cell clusters, immune cell assemblies) within the tumor microenvironment using biomaterial-based tools
5. Measures for regulating cell collective migration via biomaterials to intervene in organ fibrosis and tumor-associated fibrosis
6. In vitro modeling, real-time visualization, and computational simulation of clustered cell behaviors in biomaterial-based culture and matrix systems
7. Development and application of integrated therapeutic platforms leveraging synergistic multicellular clustering, with biomaterials as key structural or delivery components