The past 20 years have witnessed ever-growing evidence that the mechanical properties of
biological tissues, from nanoscale to macroscale dimensions, are fundamental for cellular …

Physical stimuli are essential for the function of eukaryotic cells, and changes in physical
signals are important elements in normal tissue development as well as in disease initiation …

The cytoskeleton of animal cells is one of the most complicated and functionally versatile
structures, involved in processes such as endocytosis, cell division, intra-cellular transport …

Embryogenesis, tissue repair and cancer metastasis rely on collective cell migration. In vitro
studies propose that cells are stiffer while migrating in stiff substrates, but softer when plated …

Metastasis causes most cancer-related deaths; however, the efficacy of anti-metastatic drugs
is limited by incomplete understanding of the biological mechanisms that drive metastasis …

Cell fate transitions are frequently accompanied by changes in cell shape and mechanics.
However, how cellular mechanics affects the instructive signaling pathways controlling cell …

Solid tumours are often first diagnosed by palpation, suggesting that the tumour is more rigid
than its surrounding environment. Paradoxically, individual cancer cells appear to be softer …

Macrophages are tissue-resident immune cells that play a critical role in maintaining
homeostasis and fighting infection. In addition, these cells are involved in the progression of …

Stem cell behaviors are regulated by multiple microenvironmental cues. As an external
signal, mechanical stiffness of the extracellular matrix is capable of governing stem cell fate …

Cells sense mechanical signals from their microenvironment and transduce them to the
nucleus to regulate gene expression programs. To elucidate the physical mechanisms …