A nematic framework for sprouting angiogenesis.

VEGF-stimulated endothelial cells on soft collagen hydrogels form elongated cell streams whose tips show the strongest nematic order gradients, linked to sprouting initiation.

• Why it matters: Sprouting angiogenesis underlies embryogenesis, wound healing, and tumor growth, yet how cell orientation and mechanics organize sprout initiation remains unclear.
• What they did: Endothelial cells were cultured on soft collagen hydrogel surfaces and exposed to vascular endothelial growth factor; nematic order, traction forces, hydrogel deformation, and cytoskeletal balance were analyzed.
• The result: Sprout formation is associated with large traction forces that deform hydrogels and with a balance between microtubule polymerization and actomyosin contractility, and manipulating nematic order modulates sprout formation.

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