Figure 5.

Collagen found in the ECM. The ECM is a dynamic network of proteins and molecules that play a fundamental role in organizing and maintaining tissue structure and function. Components of the ECM include fibrillar proteins (i.e., collagen, elastin) which confer tensile strength and elasticity, adhesive glycoproteins (i.e., fibronectins, laminins) which mediate cell–ECM interactions critical for tissue organization and homeostasis, and proteoglycans (i.e., fibromodulin), which can have biologically active properties (i.e., growth factors) and mediate ECM assembly and organization [65]. Created in Biorender.com.