Matrix stiffness governs fibroblasts' regulation of gingival immune homeostasis

Periodontal disease is characterized by inflamed gingival tissues and degradation of the gingival extracellular matrix (ECM), yet the role of mechanical cues remains poorly understood. Gingival ECM in periodontal disease showed reduced fibrillar collagen compared to healthy samples. We hypothesized that ECM softening in periodontal disease contributes to inflammation by dysregulating gingival fibroblasts (GFs). A mechanically tunable hydrogel model of the gingival ECM was developed to investigate the mechano-immune crosstalk. Stiff and soft collagen-alginate hydrogels matched the rheological properties of healthy and diseased gingival biopsies, respectively. Human donor GFs encapsulated in these stiff hydrogels showed significantly suppressed toll-like receptor-mediated inflammatory responses compared to those in soft hydrogels. The non-canonical NFκB pathway and epigenetic nuclear organization directed stiffness-dependent inflammatory responses of GFs. The direct impact of mechanical c..., , # Data from: Matrix stiffness governs fibroblasts' regulation of gingival immune homeostasis

Dataset DOI: [10.5061/dryad.xksn02vw6](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.xksn02vw6)

## Description of the data and file structure

For detailed information on methods, please refer to supporting information: **[adma72486-sup-0001-SuppMat.pdf](https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/downloadSupplement?doi=10.1002%2Fadma.202520717&file=adma72486-sup-0001-SuppMat.pdf)**

### Files and variables

**File: Figure_1D.csv** **Description:** Heatmap data showing the distribution of collagen fiber orientation as a function of Z-layer depth in native human gingival tissue.

* **Z-layer:** Numerical identifier for individual tissue layers through the depth of the biopsy
* **Orientation (0°-180°):** Pixel percentage counts representing the frequency of collagen fibers oriented at specific angular bins.

**File: Figure_1I.csv** **Description:** Quantification of collagen density in human gingival tissue..., ,