Recently, researchers of the Biomedical Engineering and Biomechanics Center (simplified as BEBC, http://bebc.xjtu.edu.cn) from the School of Life Science and Technology of XJTU were invited to write a review for the online journal Chemical Reviews(Impact Factor 47.928). The title of the review is Functional and Biomimetic Materials for Engineering of the Three-Dimensional Cell Microenvironment, co-authored by Associatie Porf. Huang Guoyou and Associate Prof. Li Fei.

The review introduces the basic components of cell microenvironment in terms of adjacent cells, soluble molecules, extracellular matrix (ECM) and physical fields. From the design perspective and the preparation of bionic materials, the review systematically summarizes the materials classification and the regulation of biochemistry and biophysics factors. It also summarizes the application of three-dimensional (3D) cell microenvironment engineering in the biomedical fields. In addition, the key problems that remain in this field and potential solutions are also proposed in the review, complemented with the expectations for the future development.