Pushing the boundaries: Mechanical modulation of cell function

Pushing the boundaries: Mechanical modulation of cell function Kristen L. Billiar, Ph.D. Professor of Biomedical Engineering Tissue Mechanics and Mechanobiology Laboratory Worcester Polytechnic Institute To date, much of what has been learned about mammalian cell function has been gleaned from in vitro studies of cells cultured on stiff glass or plastic substrates. In recent years, however, it has become clear that cells are highly sensitive to mechanical stimuli, and that the mechanical environment modulates the cells’ response to chemical stimuli. Based upon this realization, many researchers have adopted model systems with tunable mechanical environments, and the field of mechanobiology has rapidly emerged. This seminar will focus on a two ongoing studies in our laboratory which highlight novel experimental approaches for investigating how mechanical boundaries modulate the phenotype and morphology of individual cells cultured on and within nonlinear, fibrous extracellular matrix protein gels. Mechanobiology research promises to provide important insight into wound healing, the etiology of fibrocontractive disease, stem cell differentiation, and the development of more stable implant-device interfaces and engineered tissues.