Cell adhesion and migration are basic physiolog- ical processes in living organisms. Cells can actively probe their mechanical micro-environment and respond to the ex- ternal stimuli through cell adhesion. Cells need ...Cell adhesion and migration are basic physiolog- ical processes in living organisms. Cells can actively probe their mechanical micro-environment and respond to the ex- ternal stimuli through cell adhesion. Cells need to move to the targeting place to perform function via cell migration. For adherent cells, cell migration is mediated by cell-matrix adhesion and cell-cell adhesion. Experimental approaches, especially at early stage of investigation, are indispensable to studies of cell mechanics when even qualitative behaviors of cell as well as fundamental factors in cell behaviors are unclear. Currently, there is increasingly accumulation of ex- perimental data of measurement, thus a quantitative formula- tion of cell behaviors and the relationship among these fun- damental factors are highly needed. This quantitative under- standing should be crucial to tissue engineering and biomed- ical engineering when people want to accurately regulate or control cell behaviors from single cell level to tissue level. In this review, we will elaborate recent advances in the ex- perimental and theoretical studies on cell adhesion and mi- gration, with particular focuses laid on recent advances in experimental techniques and theoretical modeling, through which challenging problems in the cell mechanics are sug- gested.展开更多
Recent numerical simulations have indicated that integrin clustering during cell- substrate adhesion can be driven by the presence of a repulsive layer between the cell membrane and the substrate （Paszek et al., PLoS...Recent numerical simulations have indicated that integrin clustering during cell- substrate adhesion can be driven by the presence of a repulsive layer between the cell membrane and the substrate （Paszek et al., PLoS Comput Biol 5：12, 2009）. Here we present a simple me- chanics model of this phenomenon in which the attraction between integrins is mediated by the long-range elastic deformation of the membrane and the repulsive layer. We obtain analytical solutions to the problem by employing the small deformation theory of an infinitely extended plate resting on an elastic foundation.展开更多
As an intriguing interdisciplinary research field, cell and molecular biomechanics is at the cutting edge of mechanics in general and biomechanics in particular. It has the potential to provide a quantitative understa...As an intriguing interdisciplinary research field, cell and molecular biomechanics is at the cutting edge of mechanics in general and biomechanics in particular. It has the potential to provide a quantitative understanding of how forces and deformation at tissue, cellular and molecular levels affect human health and disease. In this article, we review the recent advances in cell and molecular biomechanics, examine the available computational and experimental tools, and discuss important issues including protein deformation in mechanotransduction, cell deformation and constitutive behavior, cell adhesion and migration, and the associated models and theories. The opportunities and challenges in cell and molecular biomechanics are also discussed. We hope to provide readers a clear picture of the current status of this field, and to stimulate a broader interest in the applied mechanics community.展开更多
上皮-间质转化(epithelial to mesenchymal transition,EMT)是胚胎发育、伤口愈合、癌症发展等生理、病理过程中的关键步骤,使细胞从紧密黏附在一起的上皮状态转变为分散排布的间质状态.该文提出了一个基质刚度和生长因子协同驱动EMT的...上皮-间质转化(epithelial to mesenchymal transition,EMT)是胚胎发育、伤口愈合、癌症发展等生理、病理过程中的关键步骤,使细胞从紧密黏附在一起的上皮状态转变为分散排布的间质状态.该文提出了一个基质刚度和生长因子协同驱动EMT的核心调控回路模型,发现在EMT过程中,基质刚度和生长因子通过协同调控EMT激活转录因子(EMT-activating transcript factors,EMT-TFs)来改变细胞间力学黏附分子E/N-钙黏素的表达,从而影响EMT的进程与可逆性.该模型揭示了力学和化学因素的协同作用对EMT过程中细胞间力学黏附的影响机制,为研究癌症等疾病的发生、发展机制和防治策略奠定了理论基础.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(11221202and11025208)the State Key Laboratory of Explosive Science and Technology of Beijing Institute of Technology(YBKT12-05)
文摘Cell adhesion and migration are basic physiolog- ical processes in living organisms. Cells can actively probe their mechanical micro-environment and respond to the ex- ternal stimuli through cell adhesion. Cells need to move to the targeting place to perform function via cell migration. For adherent cells, cell migration is mediated by cell-matrix adhesion and cell-cell adhesion. Experimental approaches, especially at early stage of investigation, are indispensable to studies of cell mechanics when even qualitative behaviors of cell as well as fundamental factors in cell behaviors are unclear. Currently, there is increasingly accumulation of ex- perimental data of measurement, thus a quantitative formula- tion of cell behaviors and the relationship among these fun- damental factors are highly needed. This quantitative under- standing should be crucial to tissue engineering and biomed- ical engineering when people want to accurately regulate or control cell behaviors from single cell level to tissue level. In this review, we will elaborate recent advances in the ex- perimental and theoretical studies on cell adhesion and mi- gration, with particular focuses laid on recent advances in experimental techniques and theoretical modeling, through which challenging problems in the cell mechanics are sug- gested.
基金supported by the Rhode Island Consortium for Nanoscience and Nanotechnologyby the National Science Foundation (Grant No. CMMI-1028530)
文摘Recent numerical simulations have indicated that integrin clustering during cell- substrate adhesion can be driven by the presence of a repulsive layer between the cell membrane and the substrate （Paszek et al., PLoS Comput Biol 5：12, 2009）. Here we present a simple me- chanics model of this phenomenon in which the attraction between integrins is mediated by the long-range elastic deformation of the membrane and the repulsive layer. We obtain analytical solutions to the problem by employing the small deformation theory of an infinitely extended plate resting on an elastic foundation.
基金supported by the National Heart,Lung,and Blood Institute,National Institutes of Health,as a Program of Excellence in Nanotechnology Award,N01 HV-08234,to Gang Baothe support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China through Grant Nos.10872115,11025208 and 10732050
文摘As an intriguing interdisciplinary research field, cell and molecular biomechanics is at the cutting edge of mechanics in general and biomechanics in particular. It has the potential to provide a quantitative understanding of how forces and deformation at tissue, cellular and molecular levels affect human health and disease. In this article, we review the recent advances in cell and molecular biomechanics, examine the available computational and experimental tools, and discuss important issues including protein deformation in mechanotransduction, cell deformation and constitutive behavior, cell adhesion and migration, and the associated models and theories. The opportunities and challenges in cell and molecular biomechanics are also discussed. We hope to provide readers a clear picture of the current status of this field, and to stimulate a broader interest in the applied mechanics community.
