Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Oscar J. Pundel, Liisa M. Blowes, John T. Connelly
Summary: Adhesive cues from the extracellular matrix (ECM) transmit mechanical forces through the cytoskeleton to specify the size and shape of the nucleus. This study finds that limited adhesion promotes nucleolar fusion, reduces nuclear volume, and condenses heterochromatin. Nucleolar remodeling impacts ribogenesis and protein synthesis, and is associated with specific transcriptional changes in ribogenesis genes.
Article
Cell Biology
Gun West, Sogol Sedighi, Giulio Agnetti, Pekka Taimen
Summary: The intermediate filament cytoskeleton, composed of desmin and lamins, plays a crucial role in maintaining the structural integrity of the nucleus in cardiomyocytes. Mutations in these proteins can lead to cardiomyopathies, highlighting the importance of their synergistic roles in nuclear stability and mechanical signal transduction.
CURRENT OPINION IN CELL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Joseph Sutlive, Haning Xiu, Yunfeng Chen, Kun Gou, Fengzhu Xiong, Ming Guo, Zi Chen
Summary: Understanding the mechanical properties, generation and transmission of forces in cells and tissues, and the tools and methods for measuring and predicting these forces, is essential for comprehending the regulation and control of generated forces during morphogenesis.
Review
Hematology
Oluwamayokun Oshinowo, Sally S. Azer, Jessica Lin, Wilbur A. Lam
Summary: Mechanotransduction is the ability of cells, including platelets, to sense and respond to their mechanical microenvironment. Dysregulation of platelet mechanotransduction can lead to bleeding and thrombosis. Understanding platelet mechanotransduction is crucial for better understanding and treatment of clotting and bleeding disorders.
JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Apekshya Chhetri, Joseph V. Rispoli, Sophie A. Lelievre
Summary: Discoveries about the changing stiffness of the tumor microenvironment during cancer progression have led to the development of cell culture methods involving extracellular mechanostimuli to understand mechanotransduction mechanisms impacting cell phenotypes. Collagen I is commonly used in 3D cell culture to study mechanotransduction, while models with interstitial fluid stress focus on invasive cell migration. Integrating increased ECM stiffness and fluid flow in tumor culture is crucial, as is the need for new techniques to study the physical plasticity of cancer cells in 3D. Investigating the physical heterogeneity of the TME and its impact on cellular heterogeneity could enhance collaborative efforts between biologists and engineers to advance mechanomedicine in oncology.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Nadia Chandra Sekar, Sergio Aguilera Suarez, Ngan Nguyen, Austin Lai, Peter Thurgood, Ying Zhou, Chanly Chheang, Scott Needham, Elena Pirogova, Karlheinz Peter, Khashayar Khoshmanesh, Sara Baratchi
Summary: Endothelial cells, which line blood vessels, are affected by biophysical cues and play an important role in vascular health and disease. This study investigated the impact of vessel stiffness on endothelial cells and found that cells cultured on softer substrates showed different cellular alignment and morphology compared to cells on stiffer substrates.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Sergio Aguilera Suarez, Nadia Chandra Sekar, Ngan Nguyen, Austin Lai, Peter Thurgood, Ying Zhou, Scott Needham, Elena Pirogova, Khashayar Khoshmanesh, Sara Baratchi
Summary: The study introduces a motorized cam-driven system for cyclic stretch of aortic endothelial cells, which allows for generating customized spatiotemporal stretch profiles. Experiments demonstrate significant changes in cytoskeletal structure and morphology of cells following exposure to cyclic stretch.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Qiusheng Shi, Lisha Zheng, Jing Na, Xinyang Li, Zhijie Yang, Xinyuan Chen, Yaxin Song, Chiyu Li, Lulin Zhou, Yubo Fan
Summary: This study finds that appropriate flow shear stress promotes the proliferation of periodontal ligament (PDL) cells. Flow shear stress remodels the cytoskeleton and focal adhesion of PDL cells and activates the p38-AMOT-YAP signaling pathway to regulate cell proliferation and nuclear translocation.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR LIFE SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Paolo Caravaggi, Elisa Assirelli, Andrea Ensini, Maurizio Ortolani, Erminia Mariani, Alberto Leardini, Simona Neri, Claudio Belvedere
Summary: This study aims to investigate the impact of cyclic joint loading on cartilage metabolism, identify mechanisms for preventing or slowing down OA progression, and provide preliminary data on its application. The proposed protocol integrates biomechanical data, medical imaging, and molecular information to analyze human OA knee cartilage explants with different degrees of degeneration. The comprehensive analysis is expected to provide new insights on the beneficial effects of physiological loading and contribute to the design of non-pharmacological treatments for limiting OA progression.
FRONTIERS IN BIOENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Y. Zhao, S. Siri, B. Feng, D. M. Pierce
Summary: The study establishes constitutive models for different layers of the colorectum using biaxial extension tests on mouse tissues, showcasing the biomechanical heterogeneity of the distal colorectum. The modeling framework enables analysis of the impact of organ/tissue biomechanics on mechanotransduction, structure-function relationships, and growth and remodeling in health and disease, as well as specific applications such as device design and biomedical research.
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuan-Quan Zhao, Xi-Wen Deng, Guo-Qi Xu, Jie Lin, Hua-Ze Lu, Jie Chen
Summary: Chronic liver disease or repeated damage to hepatocytes leads to hepatic fibrosis, which is characterized by excessive deposition of extracellular matrix proteins and activation of hepatic stellate cells into myofibroblasts. These processes promote the occurrence and development of hepatic fibrosis.
FRONTIERS IN MOLECULAR BIOSCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Yanqi Wu, Alastair G. Stewart, Peter V. S. Lee
Summary: This study developed a high-throughput microfluidic compressibility cytometry approach using multi-tilted-angle surface acoustic wave for rapid measurement of thousands of single-cell compressibility. Experimental validation and characterization of tumor cells showed the potential utility of high-throughput mechanophenotyping.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Kazuaki Nagayama, Fumiki Kodama, Naoki Wataya, Akiko Sato, Takeo Matsumoto
Summary: Mechanical stresses, such as fluid shear stress and tensile and compressive loading, regulate osteogenic differentiation by reorganizing the F-actin cytoskeleton and reducing compressive forces on the nucleus. These changes affect nuclear morphology and mechanical properties, potentially influencing gene expression and DNA replication during osteogenic differentiation.
JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF BIOMEDICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jaime A. Espina, Cristian L. Marchant, Elias H. Barriga
Summary: Directed cell migration is crucial in physiological and pathological processes, influenced by both mechanical and chemical signals. Recent focus has been on the mechanical guidance of cell migration via durotaxis, with studies showing how cells sense and respond to environmental mechanics, leading to biased migration. Advances in understanding durotaxis in vivo and its integration with chemotaxis for haptotaxis in native environments have also been discussed.
Editorial Material
Neurosciences
Natalia Bryniarska-Kubiak, Andrzej Kubiak, Agnieszka Basta-Kaim
Summary: In recent years, there has been increasing attention on the role of physical factors in biological processes. The recent 2021 Nobel Prize in medicine and physiology awarded half to Ardem Patapoutian for his discovery of Piezo1 and Piezo2 mechanosensitive receptors, confirming the importance of this direction. Piezo1 is expressed in various central nervous system cells and may be affected by pathological conditions. With the development of Piezo1 modulators, the role of Piezo1 in neurological diseases including ischemia, glioma, and age-related dementias can be studied, suggesting the potential benefit of modulating Piezo1 receptor in the treatment of these diseases.
CURRENT NEUROPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Shawn M. O'Connor, Kenton R. Kaufman, Samuel R. Ward, Richard L. Lieber
Summary: The study investigated the use of intramuscular pressure (IMP) measurements for estimating muscle tension in vivo, showing good agreement between active stress and IMP with perpendicular sensor insertions. However, poor agreement was found with parallel insertions, highlighting the importance of sensor anchoring/orientation for accurate tension estimation. These findings suggest that IMP measurements have potential for estimating muscle tension across various contraction conditions.
ANNALS OF BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING
(2021)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Richard L. Lieber, Tim Theologis
Summary: Surgical correction of muscle-tendon units in children with cerebral palsy is complex and requires understanding of its basic properties and adaptations. This review provides information on short- and long-term adaptations of the muscle-tendon unit for therapists, surgeons, and scientists to advance in this field. Surgical releases, lengthening, and transpositions, as well as tissue, cellular, and molecular adaptations are discussed.
DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE AND CHILD NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Sudarshan Dayanidhi, Elisa H. Buckner, Robin S. Redmond, Henry G. Chambers, Simon Schenk, Richard L. Lieber
Summary: Skeletal muscle mitochondrial oxidative enzyme activity is significantly reduced in independently ambulatory children with cerebral palsy, but this decrease is not due to lower mitochondrial content. This may explain the increased energy consumption and fatigue experienced by ambulatory children with cerebral palsy during movement.
DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE AND CHILD NEUROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Kuan-Hung Lin, Gary M. Wilson, Rocky Blanco, Nathaniel D. Steinert, Wenyuan G. Zhu, Joshua J. Coon, Troy A. Hornberger
Summary: This study highlights the role of decreased protein synthesis in the loss of muscle mass during immobilization and questions the current belief that changes in protein kinase activity mediate this effect. Deep proteomic analyses revealed that the decrease in protein synthesis cannot be explained by changes in the abundance or phosphorylation state of proteins implicated in translation regulation.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Jae-Sung You, Kookjoo Kim, Nathaniel D. Steinert, Jie Chen, Troy A. Hornberger
Summary: The study shows that mTORC1 signaling is activated during denervation and plays a crucial role in mitigating atrophy of non-type IIB muscle fibers, thereby regulating protein synthesis. Denervation induces a significant increase in phosphorylated ribosomal S6 protein levels in non-type IIB muscle fibers. mTORC1 plays a novel role in mediating fiber type-specific regulation of muscle size and protein synthesis during denervation.
CELL DEATH DISCOVERY
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Wenyuan G. Zhu, Jamie E. Hibbert, Kuan Hung Lin, Nathaniel D. Steinert, Jake L. Lemens, Kent W. Jorgenson, Sarah M. Newman, Dudley W. Lamming, Troy A. Hornberger
Summary: This study demonstrates that weight pulling can lead to increased muscle mass in mice and induce changes associated with long-term adaptations similar to those observed in humans, such as muscle fiber hypertrophy and myonuclear accretion.
Review
Clinical Neurology
Noelle G. Moreau, Richard L. Lieber
Summary: This article discusses the structural adaptation of muscles in children with cerebral palsy when performing voluntary exercise, emphasizing the impact of exercise details on muscles, and proposing the goal of improving activity and participation in children with cerebral palsy.
DEVELOPMENTAL MEDICINE AND CHILD NEUROLOGY
(2022)
Review
Orthopedics
Richard L. Lieber, Jan Friden
Summary: This paragraph summarizes the elements of a successful collaboration between a surgeon and a scientist, emphasizing its uniqueness and significance.
JOURNAL OF HAND SURGERY-AMERICAN VOLUME
(2022)
Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Tanvi Potluri, Matthew J. Taylor, Jonah J. Stulberg, Richard L. Lieber, Hong Zhao, Serdar E. Bulun
Summary: Researchers have discovered two potentially unique fibroblast clusters associated with hernias through single-cell RNA sequencing, which are enriched in estrogen receptor genes and express genes related to regulation and inflammatory fibrosis. This discovery may provide clues for the development of new non-surgical treatments for preventing or reversing inguinal hernias.
Article
Hematology
Imre Varju, Erzsebet Toth, Adam Z. Farkas, Veronika J. Farkas, Erzsebet Komorowicz, Timea Feller, Balazs Kiss, Miklos Z. Kellermayer, Laszlo Szabo, Andras Wacha, Attila Bota, Colin Longstaff, Krasimir Kolev
Summary: The effect of fibrinogen citrullination on the structure of fibrin clots is investigated in this study. The results show that citrullination leads to thinner, denser, and less porous clots.
JOURNAL OF THROMBOSIS AND HAEMOSTASIS
(2022)
Article
Orthopedics
Richard L. Lieber
Summary: The NIH R01 grant is highly prestigious but difficult to obtain, with less than 10% of proposals being funded. However, once funded, there is little accountability for achieving the proposed aims. Requiring excessive grant writing creates inefficiencies, therefore a fail quickly model with lower barriers and higher short-term accountability should be considered.
JOURNAL OF BONE AND JOINT SURGERY-AMERICAN VOLUME
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Benjamin I. Binder-Markey, Lomas S. Persad, Alexander Y. Shin, William J. Litchy, Kenton R. Kaufman, Richard L. Lieber
Summary: By transplanting the gracilis muscle from the thigh to the arm and directly measuring its properties and function, this study validated the relationship between isometric contractile properties and whole muscle properties in the human body.
JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-LONDON
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Nathaniel D. Steinert, Kent W. Jorgenson, Kuan-Hung Lin, Jake B. Hermanson, Jake L. Lemens, Troy A. Hornberger
Summary: Skeletal muscle size is regulated by the balance between protein synthesis and degradation. Understanding the mechanisms that modulate this balance is crucial for maintaining muscle function. This study demonstrates that TRIM28 knockout decreases muscle size and function by increasing protein degradation and reducing Mettl21c expression. Importantly, overexpression of Mettl21c induces muscle hypertrophy and inhibits protein degradation, as visualized using a pulse-chase biorthogonal non-canonical amino acid tagging technique.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Jamie E. Hibbert, Kent W. Jorgenson, Wenyuan G. Zhu, Nathaniel D. Steinert, Troy A. Hornberger
Summary: This article presents a method for measuring the in vivo rate of protein degradation in mice. The method utilizes the non-canonical amino acid azidohomoalanine (AHA) for pulse labeling and quantifies AHA-labeled proteins using a click reaction. This method addresses the major limitation in various biological fields regarding the measurement of protein degradation rates.
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Megan K. O'Brien, Sung Y. Shin, Rushmin Khazanchi, Michael Fanton, Richard L. Lieber, Roozbeh Ghaffari, John A. Rogers, Arun Jayaraman
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential of using high-resolution data from wireless, wearable motion sensors to predict post-stroke ambulation function. The incorporation of IMU data improved the prediction accuracy of discharge ambulation ability, showing promise for early prognosis and personalized care strategies in stroke rehabilitation.
IEEE JOURNAL OF TRANSLATIONAL ENGINEERING IN HEALTH AND MEDICINE
(2022)