2D	Two-dimensional
3D	Three-dimensional
α-SMA	Alpha smooth muscle actin
AC	Articular cartilage
ACVRL1/ALK1	Activin A receptor type II-like kinase 1
ADAMTS	A disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs
ADF	Actin-depolymerizing factor
AIP1	Actin-interacting protein 1
ALK5	Activin receptor-like kinase 5
Arp2/3	Actin-related protein complex 2/3
bCHs	Bovine chondrocytes
BMP	Bone morphogenetic protein
CAP	Cyclase-associated protein
CAT	Chloramphenicol acetyltransferase
CBP	CREB-binding protein
cCHs	Chicken chondrocytes
caCHs	Canine chondrocytes
CCN2/CTGF	Connective tissue growth factor
CECs	Corneal endothelial cells
CH(s)	Chondrocyte(s)
CHX	Cycloheximide
CIN	Chronophin
COL1/2/3/10	Type I/ II/ III/ X collagen
cSOX9	Chicken SRY-box transcription factor 9
DEX	Dexamethasone
DRF1	Dehydration responsive factor 1
ECM	Extracellular matrix
EGF	Epidermal growth factor
EGFR	Epidermal growth factor receptor
ENaC	Epithelial sodium channel
ERK	Extracellular signal-regulated kinase
ERM	Ezrin/radixin/moesin
F-actin	Filamentous actin
FAK	Focal adhesion kinase
FAs	Focal adhesions
FGF-1 / 2	Fibroblast growth factor 1 / 2
FGFR1 / 2 / 3 / 4	Fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 / 2 / 3 / 4
G-actin	Globular actin
GAG	Glycosaminoglycan
GAP	GTPase-activating protein
gCHs	Goat chondrocytes
G-CSF	Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor
GEF	Guanine-nucleotide exchange factor
GM-CSF	Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor
GRAF	GTPase regulator associated with FAK
GSK-3	Glycogen synthase kinase 3
hCHs	Human chondrocytes
hSOX9	Human SRY-box transcription factor 9
HSP-27	Heat shock protein 27
IFN-γ	Interferon gamma
IGF-1	Insulin growth factor 1
IL-1(α/β)	Interleukin 1 (alpha/beta)
IL-6	Interleukin 6
IL-8	Interleukin 8
JNK	JUN N-terminal kinase
LIMK	LIM domain kinase
MAL	Megakaryoblastic leukemia 1
MAPK	Mitogen-activated protein kinase
MAPKAPK2	Mitogen-activated protein kinase-activated protein kinase 2
mCHs	Murine chondrocytes
MCPJ	Metacarpophalangeal joints
mDia1/DIAPH1/DRF1	Mammalian Diaphanous 1
MEK1/2	Mitogen-activated protein kinase / ERK kinase
MKK	Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase
MLC	Myosin light chain
MLCK	Myosin light chain kinase
MLCP	Myosin light chain phosphatase
MMP	Matrix metalloproteinase
MPs	Micropattern
MRCKα	Myotonic dystrophy-related Cdc42-binding kinase alpha
mRNA	Messenger ribonucleic acid
MRTF	Myocardin-related transcription factor
MSCs	Mesenchymal stem cells
NMMII(A/B)	Non-muscle myosin II A/B
NO	Nitric oxide
NPFs	Nucleation-promoting factors
OA	Osteoarthritis / Osteoarthritic
OSM	Osmo-sensing scaffold for MEKK3
P	Passage
Pa	Pascal
PAA	Polyacrylamide
PAK	p21-activated kinase
pCHs	Pig / porcine chondrocytes
PDMS	Polydimethylsiloxane
PGE2	Prostaglandin E2
PI3K	Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase
PI4P	Phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate
PIP2	Phosphatidylinositol (4,5)-bisphosphate
PIP3	Phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate
PIP5K	Phosphatidylinositol 5-kinase
PKA	Protein kinase A
PKC	Protein kinase C
PKD	Protein kinase D
PLCγ	Phospholipase C gamma
PP1	Protein phosphatase type 1
PP2	4-amino-5-(4-chlorophenyl)-7-(dimethylethyl)pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine
PP2A	Protein phosphatase type 2A
PP2B	Protein phosphatase type 2B
PRG4	Proteoglycan 4
PSGAP	PH- and SH3-domain-containing RhoGAP protein
PTHrP	Parathyroid hormone-related protein
PTOA	Post-traumatic osteoarthritis
PVA	Poly(vinyl alcohol)
rabCHs	Rabbit chondrocytes
rCHs	Rat chondrocytes
RCS	Rat chondrosarcoma
ROCK	Rho-associated kinase
RVD	Regulatory volume decrease
SAPK	Stress-activated protein kinase
SF	Stress fiber
siRNA	Small interfering ribonucleic acid
SMC	Smooth muscle cell
SOX4 / 5 / 6 / 9	SRY-box transcription factor 4 / 5 / 6 / 9
SRF	Serum response factor
SSH	Slingshot
SZP	Superficial zone protein
TESK1 / 2	Testicular protein kinase 1 / 2
TGF-α	Transforming growth factor alpha
TGF-β(1)	Transforming growth factor beta (1)
TNF-α	Tumor necrosis factor alpha
TNFR-1	Tumor necrosis factor receptor 1
TonEBP	Tonicity-responsive enhancer binding protein
TRPV4	Vanilloid type 4 channel
VASP	Vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein
VEGF	Vascular endothelial growth factor
YAP	Yes-associated protein