Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Alex Khang, Quan Nguyen, Xinzeng Feng, Daniel P. Howsmon, Michael S. Sacks
Summary: This study assessed the shape and contractile behaviors of aortic valve interstitial cells using hydrogel-based 3D traction force microscopy. The results showed that changes in cell shape were closely related to the orientation and behavior of stress fibers.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Alex Khang, Quan Nguyen, Xinzeng Feng, Daniel P. Howsmon, Michael S. Sacks
Summary: Cell shape is influenced by mechanical, chemical, and biological mechanisms and reflects the biophysical state of cells. In this study, we used hydrogel-based 3D traction force microscopy to assess the shape and contractile behaviors of aortic valve interstitial cells (AVICs). We observed changes in AVIC geometry over time and found that AVICs were more elongated when relaxed and more spherical in hyper-contraction. These findings provide insights into stress fiber architecture and mechanical behaviors of AVICs.
ACTA BIOMATERIALIA
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Clayton W. Molter, Eliana F. Muszynski, Yuanyuan Tao, Tanisha Trivedi, Anna Clouvel, Allen J. Ehrlicher
Summary: The study found that the contractility, cell stiffness, and motility of prostate cancer cells exhibit unique biophysical responses under different metastatic potential, which are influenced by substrate stiffness. Despite the biophysical diversity, the mechanical microenvironment is a key determinant in the biophysical response of PCa with variable metastatic potentials.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Cell Biology
Grace Cai, Anh Nguyen, Yashar Bashirzadeh, Shan-Shan Lin, Dapeng Bi, Allen P. Liu
Summary: This study reveals the importance of cell-cell adhesion and substrate traction in cellular unjamming transitions under compressive stress. Strengthened intercellular adhesion and attenuation of traction forces contribute to the fluidization of cell layer, which may impact collective cell motion in tumor development and breast cancer progression.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Thomas Schlichthaerle, Caroline Lindner, Ralf Jungmann
Summary: Cell-extracellular matrix sensing plays a crucial role in cellular behavior and leads to the formation of a macromolecular protein complex called the focal adhesion. Despite their importance in cellular decision making, relatively little is known about cell-matrix interactions and the intracellular transduction of an initial ligand-receptor binding event on the single-molecule level. Here, authors combine ligand-decorated DNA tension sensors with DNA-PAINT super-resolution microscopy to study the mechanical engagement of single integrin receptors and the downstream influence on actin bundling.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Nafsika Chala, Xinyu Zhang, Tomaso Zambelli, Ziyi Zhang, Teseo Schneider, Daniele Panozzo, Dimos Poulikakos, Aldo Ferrari
Summary: Mechanical signals establish communication between mammalian cells and their environment. Cells exert forces and transmit them at focal adhesion points. External stimuli affect the adhesion-free cell surface. The integration of Fluidic Force Microscopy and confocal Traction Force Microscopy enables precise force probing of individual cells, allowing the investigation of cellular mechanisms in response to mechanical stimuli.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hao Xing, Yaqing Huang, Britta H. Kunkemoeller, Peter J. Dahl, Ohvia Muraleetharan, Nikhil S. Malvankar, Michael P. Murrell, Themis R. Kyriakides
Summary: Fibroblasts in diabetes show altered morphology, migration, extracellular matrix production, traction force, 3D contraction, and cell stiffness, which are associated with decreased active Rac1 and lack of co-localization between F-actin and WAVE2. Deletion of thrombospondin-2 rescues these phenotypes and restores normal levels of active Rac1 and WAVE2-F-actin co-localization.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Morteza Aramesh, Simon Mergenthal, Marcel Issler, Birgit Plochberger, Florian Weber, Xiao-Hua Qin, Robert Liska, Georg N. Duda, Johannes B. Huppa, Jonas Ries, Gerhard J. Schuetz, Enrico Klotzsch
Summary: The study developed a traction force microscopy platform to quantify the forces exerted by T-cell microvilli during activation, and confirmed the interaction with specific T-cell activating antibodies fixed on marker beads. Cellular components like actin, TCR, and CD45 were found to rearrange upon interaction, with actin forming a vortex-like structure around beads, TCR enrichment at bead surface, and CD45 exclusion from bead-microvilli contacts.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Eva Crosas-Molist, Vittoria Graziani, Oscar Maiques, Pahini Pandya, Joanne Monger, Remi Samain, Samantha L. George, Saba Malik, Jerrine Salise, Valle Morales, Adrien Le Guennec, R. Andrew Atkinson, Rosa M. Marti, Xavier Matias-Guiu, Guillaume Charras, Maria R. Conte, Alberto Elosegui-Artola, Mark Holt, Victoria Sanz-Moreno
Summary: Cell migration is controlled by AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) acting as an adhesion sensing molecular hub. High AMPK activity in low adhering migratory cells induces mitochondrial fission and amoeboid migration. Reducing adhesion or activating AMPK promotes efficient rounded-amoeboid migration. This study reveals how mitochondrial dynamics and AMPK contribute to cell migration.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
David Boehringer, Andreas Bauer, Ivana Moravec, Lars Bischof, Delf Kah, Christoph Mark, Thomas J. Grundy, Ekkehard Goerlach, Geraldine M. O'Neill, Silvia Budday, Pamela L. Strissel, Reiner Strick, Andrea Malandrino, Richard Gerum, Michael Mak, Martin Rausch, Ben Fabry
Summary: This study tests the feasibility of estimating cellular traction forces indirectly by measuring matrix remodeling. Changes in fiber orientation and density can be used as an proxy for changes in cellular forces. The method can be used for drug screening and is available as an open-source software package.
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Yousef Javanmardi, Ayushi Agrawal, Andrea Malandrino, Soufian Lasli, Michelle Chen, Somayeh Shahreza, Bianca Serwinski, Leila Cammoun, Ran Li, Mehdi Jorfi, Boris Djordjevic, Nicolas Szita, Fabian Spill, Sergio Bertazzo, Graham K. Sheridan, Vivek Shenoy, Fernando Calvo, Roger Kamm, Emad Moeendarbary
Summary: Cancer cell extravasation is a crucial step in the metastatic process, involving cancer cell arrest, transendothelial migration, and invasion into distant tissues. This study investigates the mechanical interactions between tumor cells, endothelium, and subendothelial extracellular matrix during in vitro cancer cell extravasation. The findings suggest that cancer cell protrusions and endothelial forces play essential roles in transendothelial migration, and mechanical properties of the subendothelial extracellular matrix and endothelial actomyosin contractility influence the endothelium's resistance to cancer cell transmigration. These results highlight the importance of mechanical features in determining metastatic organotropism.
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Yuki Yamasaki, Satoru Tsugawa, Kenshiro Ito, Kazunori Okano, Yoichiroh Hosokawa
Summary: The stiffness of plant cells is influenced by both the elasticity of the cell wall and the intracellular turgor pressure. Laser perforation is a promising method to investigate the force interaction between cell wall elasticity and intracellular turgor pressure.
APPLIED PHYSICS A-MATERIALS SCIENCE & PROCESSING
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Myung Hyun Jo, Byoung Choul Kim, Keewon Sung, Reynold A. Panettieri, Steven S. An, Jian Liu, Taekjip Ha
Summary: The study found that cell shortening and focal adhesion disassembly occurred after an increase in intracellular calcium levels induced by histamine. A mathematical model predicted that stabilizing focal adhesions hinders cell shortening, while focal adhesion disruption is preceded by strengthening due to actomyosin-activated tension.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rita dos Santos Natividade, Melanie Koehler, Priscila S. F. C. Gomes, Joshua D. Simpson, Sydni Caet Smith, Diego E. B. Gomes, Juliette de Lhoneux, Jinsung Yang, Ankita Ray, Terence S. Dermody, Rafael C. Bernardi, Kristen M. Ogden, David Alsteens
Summary: This study investigates the nanomechanical properties of viral attachment proteins and their impact on virus-binding capacity and infectivity. The research reveals that conformational changes in the viral protein a1 significantly increase its affinity for JAM-A, leading to enhanced infectivity. The study also demonstrates how GM2 enhances the a1-JAM-A interaction. These findings provide important insights for the development of antiviral drugs and improved oncolytic vectors.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Review
Immunology
Farah Mustapha, Kheya Sengupta, Pierre-Henri Puech
Summary: Force is an important parameter for cells to adapt to their microenvironment. T lymphocytes use mechano-sensitivity to recognize antigens and carry out immune functions. Traction force microscopy is a technique that has gained interest in the ImmunoBiophysics community for measuring forces exerted by immune cells.
FRONTIERS IN IMMUNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Peng Dong, Jingyi Liu, Huiru Wang, Hongyan Yuan, Quan Wang
Summary: This study demonstrates the potential of using the alkali-activation method to recycle hazardous municipal solid waste incineration fly ash into construction materials with ecological safety and high performance.
NANOTECHNOLOGIES IN CONSTRUCTION-A SCIENTIFIC INTERNET-JOURNAL
(2022)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Tiankai Zhao, Hongyan Yuan
Summary: Reaction-diffusion models have been used extensively to explain pattern formations in early embryogenesis using geometrically confined microtissues of human pluripotent stem cells. Mechanical cues, such as cellular stresses and strains, play a role in dictating pattern formation during stem cell differentiation. A modified reaction-diffusion model that considers the active contraction of cellular tissues and their poroelastic nature is proposed, where mechanical forces regulate the transport of chemical cues and determine cell fate and pattern formations.
APPLIED MATHEMATICAL MODELLING
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Ceramics
Huiru Wang, Jingyi Liu, Sorour Sadeghzade, Runsheng Hou, Hongyan Yuan
Summary: Among piezo composites, 0-3 type ceramic/polymer-based composites have balanced properties and flexible manufacturing processes, allowing them to tackle challenges in wearable electronics and sensing technology. This study presents a novel poling method that combines normal corona poling and oil-based poling methods to activate a lead zirconium titanate (PZT)/Polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA) composite. The optimized poling parameters for the 0-3 PZT/PEGDA composites were found to be 60 min poling duration, 25 degrees C, and 24 kV. The proposed poling method showed significant improvement in the piezoelectric properties compared to the normal corona poling method.
CERAMICS INTERNATIONAL
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Michele Torre, Simone Morganti, Francesco S. Pasqualini, Alexander Duester, Alessandro Reali
Summary: This paper proposes an immersed approach that combines the Galerkin-based finite cell method with the isogeometric collocation method to avoid excessive subdivision of complex geometries. The presented technology further develops the hybrid collocation concept, providing a systematic technique for selecting the method to be used. Several numerical tests demonstrate that the methodology guarantees the same convergence rates as the standard isogeometric collocation method.
COMPUTER METHODS IN APPLIED MECHANICS AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Megan L. Rexius-Hall, Natalie N. Khalil, Sean S. Escopete, Xin Li, Jiayi Hu, Hongyan Yuan, Sarah J. Parker, Megan L. McCain
Summary: This study engineered a microphysiological system to simulate an oxygen gradient environment in the border zone of a myocardial infarction, and investigated the effects of the gradient on cardiac tissue function and gene expression. The results showed that the oxygen gradient delayed calcium release, reuptake, and propagation, decreased diastolic and peak systolic stress, and increased expression of inflammatory pathways. These findings reveal distinct regulation of cardiac tissue phenotypes by an oxygen gradient.
Review
Engineering, Biomedical
Sorour Sadeghzade, Jingyi Liu, Huiru Wang, Xin Li, Jinrui Cao, Huiling Cao, Bin Tang, Hongyan Yuan
Summary: This review paper summarizes and discusses the behavior of baghdadite-based ceramics and composites in vivo and in vitro, and explores new strategies to improve the performance of ceramics.
MATERIALS TODAY BIO
(2022)
Article
Biophysics
Tiankai Zhao, Hongyan Yuan
Summary: The research focuses on modeling and analyzing the behavior of an expanding epithelial cell monolayer that forms a circular gap during migration. Based on the model, we assessed the factors affecting the velocity of the spreading front, such as gap size, active intercellular contractility, and purse-string contraction. Moreover, the instability of the spreading front morphology was studied.
BIOMECHANICS AND MODELING IN MECHANOBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Michele Torre, Simone Morganti, Alessandro Nitti, Marco D. de Tullio, Francesco S. Pasqualini, Alessandro Reali
Summary: We extend the application of isogeometric collocation to coupled cardiac electromechanical problems. A staggered solution scheme is developed to reduce computational effort and ensure high accuracy for all field variables. The focus is on the coupling strategy, the handling of different meshes, and the mitigation of volumetric locking. Numerical tests demonstrate the expected convergence rates and the effectiveness of the proposed solution scheme for electromechanics.
COMPUTER METHODS IN APPLIED MECHANICS AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Dan Wu, Gengxin Du, Haochen Liu, Wei Chen, Xin Li, Zhibei Wang, Haodong Tang, Bingyang Liu, Chenxi Liu, Yulong Chen, Zhulu Song, Weiwei Deng, Hongyan Yuan, Kai Wang, Xinyan Zhao
Summary: Flexible microcomb printing technique is used to fabricate PbS QD photoconductors without layer-by-layer ligand exchange, achieving a responsivity of 2.1 A W-1. A computational fluid dynamics model is built to analyze the relationship between key parameters of FMCP and QD film morphology. This method shows promise for scalable and high-performance PbS QD photodetectors.
ADVANCED OPTICAL MATERIALS
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Multidisciplinary
Jiashen Guan, Hongyan Yuan, Ju Liu
Summary: This study presents a structure-preserving scheme based on a mixed formulation for incompressible hyperelasticity in principal stretches. The adopted mixed formulation is a finite-strain generalization of Herrmann variational formulation, providing a new Hamiltonian for fully incompressible elastodynamics. The discrete gradient and scaled mid-point formulas are used to design fully-discrete schemes that preserve the Hamiltonian and momenta. The grad-div stabilization is introduced to enhance volume conservation and ensure energy-decaying and momentum-conserving fully discrete schemes.
COMPUTER METHODS IN APPLIED MECHANICS AND ENGINEERING
(2023)
Article
Polymer Science
Sorour Sadeghzade, Jinrui Cao, Dingcong Zhang, Peng Dong, Jiayi Hu, Abuzar Es'haghioskui, Hongyan Yuan
Summary: Touchscreen panels and foldable smartphones require flexible, bendable, and stretchable optically clear adhesives (OCAs) with high transparency. Developing highly viscoelastic and optically clear adhesives is crucial for the commercial viability of flexible electronics.
EUROPEAN POLYMER JOURNAL
(2023)
Article
Mechanics
Xin Li, Wenkai Yu, Jingyi Liu, Xiaoyan Zhu, Huiru Wang, Xiaoyu Sun, Ju Liu, Hongyan Yuan
Summary: Hard-magnetic soft (HMS) materials are soft active materials made by embedding hard-magnetic particles into soft elastomers. They have applications in soft robotics and haptic sensors. A new three-dimensional HMS rod model is developed in this study, considering the nonlinear stress-strain relation and the areal change of the cross-section. The model can accurately predict the large deformation of the HMS rod.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SOLIDS AND STRUCTURES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Civil
Jiayi Hu, Peng Dong, Runsheng Hou, Jinrui Cao, Sorour Sadeghzade, Hongyan Yuan
Summary: In this study, functionally graded IWP architectures were developed to enhance the ductility of cementitious composites. Two grading strategies, relative density and cell size, were employed to improve flexural strength and ductility respectively. The results indicate that the designed IWP architectures noticeably improve the flexural strength and ductility of the composites.
THIN-WALLED STRUCTURES
(2023)
Article
Engineering, Biomedical
Sandipan Chattaraj, Michele Torre, Constanze Kalcher, Alexander Stukowski, Simone Morganti, Alessandro Reali, Francesco Silvio Pasqualini
Summary: Modeling multiscale mechanics in shape-shifting engineered tissues is challenging and important. This study introduces a new framework called subcellular element modeling and mechanics (SEM2) to address the difficulty of modeling large non-linear deformations at the tissue level. The authors demonstrate the application of SEM2 in classical SEM simulations and engineered cell culture platforms.
APL BIOENGINEERING
(2023)
Review
Biophysics
Michele Torre, Simone Morganti, Francesco S. Pasqualini, Alessandro Reali
Summary: In this paper, a powerful methodology called isogeometric analysis is reviewed, which is used to solve complex numerical simulations, especially in the field of biophysical modeling of the heart. The methods employed to solve specific numerical issues related to topics such as hemodynamics, modeling of the valves, cardiac tissue mechanics, and simulation of medical devices and treatments are discussed, highlighting the advantages and disadvantages of the methodology.
BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS
(2023)