Extracellular matrix in development and diseases

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a dynamic and instructive component of tissues that regulates cell behavior across development, homeostasis, injury, and disease. This Research Topic will highlight mechanistic and experimentally validated studies that define how ECM composition, organization, and biomechanics shape cell fate decisions, morphogenesis, vascularization, regeneration, and pathological remodeling. We welcome work spanning developmental and adult contexts, including (but not limited to) heart and vascular development, fibrosis, and regenerative models, as well as biomaterials and tissue-engineering strategies that recapitulate ECM structure and function. Contributions using in vivo models (including zebrafish and other regenerative systems), advanced imaging, and functional perturbation approaches, together with translational perspectives relevant to cardiovascular and other ECM-driven diseases, are particularly encouraged. Topic editors: Chinmoy Patra, Kirankumar Santhakumar, Rudra Nayan Das Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/78729/extracellular-matrix-in-development-and-diseases