Cells actively sense and process mechanical information that is provided by the extracellular
environment to make decisions about growth, motility and differentiation. It is important to …

Integrins are a large family of extracellular matrix (ECM) receptors. In the developing and
adult brain, many integrins are present at high levels at synapses. The tetrapartite structure …

Hippo effectors YAP/TAZ act as on–off mechanosensing switches by sensing modifications
in extracellular matrix (ECM) composition and mechanics. The regulation of their activity has …

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are major components of the carcinoma
microenvironment that promote tumor progression. However, the mechanisms by which …

Polyacrylamide (PAM) hydrogels are commonly used as substrates for cell mechanical and
mechanobiological studies because of their tunable stiffness and ease of handling. The …

Cells sense and respond to the biochemical and physical properties of the extracellular
matrix (ECM) through adhesive structures that bridge the cell cytoskeleton and the …

Tumour-repopulating cells (TRCs) are a self-renewing, tumorigenic subpopulation of cancer
cells critical in cancer progression. However, the underlying mechanisms of how TRCs …

Liver fibrosis, a condition characterized by extensive deposition and cross-linking of
extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, is idiosyncratic in cases of chronic liver injury. The …

Recent studies at the nanometer scale have revealed that relatively uniform clusters of
adhesion proteins (50–100 nm) constitute the modular units of cell adhesion sites in both …

Mitochondria control eukaryotic cell fate by producing the energy needed to support life and
the signals required to execute programed cell death. The biochemical milieu is known to …