Time to Relax: Mechanical Stress Release Guides Stem Cell Responses

Sven D Sommerfeld; Jennifer H Elisseeff

doi:10.1016/j.stem.2016.01.020

Time to Relax: Mechanical Stress Release Guides Stem Cell Responses

Cell Stem Cell. 2016 Feb 4;18(2):166-7. doi: 10.1016/j.stem.2016.01.020.

Authors

Sven D Sommerfeld¹, Jennifer H Elisseeff²

Affiliations

¹ Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute and the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA.
² Translational Tissue Engineering Center, Wilmer Eye Institute and the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 21231, USA. Electronic address: jhe@jhu.edu.

PMID: 26849301
DOI: 10.1016/j.stem.2016.01.020

Abstract

Stem cells integrate spatiotemporal cues, including the mechanical properties of their microenvironment, into their fate decisions. Chaudhuri et al. (2015) show that the ability of the extracellular matrix to dissipate cell-induced forces, referred to as stress-relaxation, is a key mechanical signal influencing stem cell fate and function.

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MeSH terms

Humans
Mesenchymal Stem Cells / physiology*