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The cardiovascular system is a mechanical system with the heart as the center and blood vessels as the network.Mechanical forces play a direct and key role in regulating the physiological state and pathological process of the cardiovascular system.Cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease,hypertension and stroke have similar pathological basis,that is,vascular remodeling caused by vascular dysfunction and abnormal damage.Therefore,investigating how mechanical forces produce biological effects that lead to vascular remodeling,and elucidating cardiovascular mechanical signal transduction pathways and mechanical regulation pathways are of great research significance for in-depth understanding of the nature of cardiovascular disease occurrence.In this review,different mechanical forces and key mechanical response molecules are used as clues,and the latest research progress of vascular mechanobiology in 2023 is summarized.These results provide new ideas for further exploring the role of mechanical factors in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases,and providing markers and potential targets for early diagnosis of the disease.
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Vascular biomechanics mainly explores how vascular cells perceive mechanical stimuli,how mechanics affects the development of diseases,and the exploitation of various mathematical models to analyze the effects of mechanical factors on diseases.In recent years,researches in the field of vascular biomechanics are developing rapidly,and various research teams have analyzed the mechanical and biological processes of blood vessels from different directions,in order to gain a deeper understanding of the regulatory mechanisms of vascular biomechanical factors affecting the progression of various vascular diseases,and provide a theoretical basis based on the mechanobiology for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.This article summarizes and discusses the recent research hotspots and emerging trends in the field of vascular mechanobiology based on domestic and foreign expert teams and combined with the work of this research team,thus providing a systematic framework for grasping hotspots and exploring new research directions in the field of vascular mechanobiology.
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As the vanguard of the innate immune system to recognize external environmental stimuli, macrophages can respond to subtle changes in the environment and achieve adaptive regulation of their own functions, playing a crucial role in maintaining homeostasis and resisting infection. Various mechanical stress stimuli including endogenous stress mediated by mechanical characteristics of extracellular matrix, and exogenous stress such as solid/liquid pressure, tension and fluid shear stress, exist in the physiological or pathological tissue microenvironment, which have important effects on the immune function of macrophages. The understanding of macrophage mechanobiology will contribute to the development of new immunotherapies targeting macrophages. This review focuses on the functional regulation of macrophages by mechanical stress, summarizes the research progress from the perspective of influencing cell adhesion, migration, phagocytosis and polarization, and summarizes the molecular mechanisms of macrophage mechanical sensing and transduction from the outside to the inside in three levels: cell membrane mechanical sensors, force signal transduction of cytoskeleton system, and YAP/TAZ-mediated gene expression regulation response to mechanical stress. In addition, the application prospects and future vision of macrophage mechanobiology research in tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and tumor immunotherapy are discussed, providing strong support for a deeper understanding of the plasticity of macrophage function.
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BACKGROUND:The application of orthodontic force triggers autophagy in the periodontal tissue via diverse signaling pathways,augmenting or attenuating the activity of relevant cell types such as periodontal ligament cells,osteocytes,osteoclasts,and osteoblasts,thus facilitating the process of periodontal remodeling. OBJECTIVE:To review the research progress in orthodontic force mediated autophagy in periodontal tissue and its impact on orthodontic tooth movement. METHODS:The PubMed,Web of Science,China Biology Medicine disc and CNKI were searched for literature published from 2010 to 2023 to summarize the progress in orthodontics-related autophagy.And 76 papers were finally included in the analysis and discussion. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Orthodontic force can trigger a series of biochemical signal changes through periodontal mechanical receptors and aseptic inflammation they cause,leading to autophagy in periodontal tissue.Subsequently,autophagy generates corresponding feedback through cascaded amplified signaling pathways such as Phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B,Hippo,and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways,promoting periodontal tissue remodeling and ultimately achieving tooth movement and stability.Orthodontic force-induced autophagy can differentially regulate bone resorption on the tooth pressure side and bone formation on the tension side.Related targets have good prospects in the clinical application of orthodontic treatment.Orthodontics and autophagy have complex mechanisms.However,existing research has only focused on exploring the role of autophagy in orthodontic tooth movement.Further exploration is needed to investigate the mutual regulatory effects between autophagy and orthodontic tooth movement,as well as the interactions between upstream mechanical receptors and signaling pathways involved in related pathways.
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As a kind of elastic load-bearing connective tissues on bone surface in dynamic joints, articular cartilage can provide low wear lubrication, shock absorption, load transfer and other supporting functions, and has hierarchical fiber composite structures and excellent mechanical properties. As an avascular and aneural tissue,the degenerated articular cartilage lacks the capability of self-healing after damage. The high incidence of arthritisis still a hot spot in basic and clinical researches. Articular cartilage is a mechanical sensitive tissue, andmechanical environment will affect the development of tissues in different directions. Extensive researches onbiomechanics and mechanobiology of articular cartilage were conducted in 2022. Many studies on morphology, function and mechanical state of cartilage,as well as mechanical state of cartilage under different conditions were reported. Some cartilage-related loading devices were designed at animal, tissue and cell levels. Researches onthe repair of cartilage degeneration and injury under mechanical loads were carried out in vitro and in vivo, andsome important repair method and means were obtained. The biomechanical and mechanobiology research on articular cartilage is the basis of arthritis, cartilage defect and repair. The influence of quantitative mechanical under 4 conditions on the repair of articular cartilage injury needs further study in vivo and in vitro
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The cardiovascular system plays a crucial role in the entire organism. It performs many important functions, such as providing organs and tissues with nutrients, hormones, delivering oxygen to cells, and maintaining physiological temperature. For a long time, accurately identifying the nonlinear and anisotropic mechanical properties of the vascular wall within the body has been regarded as a key challenge in cardiovascular biomechanics, as these properties are critical determinants of overall cardiac function. Currently, the roles of mechanical and tissue properties in cardiovascular diseases such as arterial aneurysms and atherosclerosis remain hot topics in both basic and clinical researches. This review aims to summarize the latest research advances in the field of cardiovascular biomechanics and mechanobiology in the year 2022. In terms of cardiovascular biomechanics, researchers focus on the structure, function, and pathophysiology of the cardiovascular system, and use experimental methods such as mechanical modeling to study these issues. These include studies about biomechanical properties of diseases such as atherosclerosis, arterial aneurysms, and myocardial infarction, as well as the development and testing of treatment methods based on dynamics of the cardiovascular system. In terms of mechanobiology, researchers explore mechanical properties of cardiovascular cells and extracellular matrix, including prediction of cell mechanical properties based on machine learning, studies of biological material mechanical properties, and the role of mechanical properties in cardiovascular cell phenotype changes. These research findings provide new ideas and methods for diagnosing and treating cardiovascular diseases and offer new insights into researches in biomechanics and mechanobiology fields.
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Dendritic cells (DCs) are now known as the most powerful antigen-presenting cells in vivo, with efficient antigen uptaking, and processing capabilities. They can present antigens to naïve T cells in secondary lymphoid tissues, thereby induce immune response or tolerance, and play a key role in initiating and amplifying innate and adaptive immunity. DCs experience complex chemical and mechanical microenvironment changes and show different mechanophenotypes and immunophenotypes in the process of exerting their physiological functions. Deeply understanding the chemical and mechanical factors that regulate the mechanophenotypes and immunophenotypes of DCs is a prerequisite for using DCs to treat immune related diseases. In this review, the progress in the biomechanics and mechanobiology research of DCs was mainly introduced, and their potential applications and future development directions in the treatment of immune related diseases were explored.
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Objective To design a novel strain loading device for studying the mechanical biology of adherent cells. Methods Based on the technology of substrate deformation loading, the device adopted controllable stepper to cause deformation of the silastic chamber, so as to realize cell loading with multiple units and large strain. The device was developed to test its loading functions. The three-dimensional (3D) models of the silastic chamber were established to simulate the loaded chamber by the finite element technology, and uniformity of the strain field was analyzed. The device applied 5% strain to bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) with 0.5 Hz stretch frequency at 2 hours per day for 5 days, and an inverted phase contrast microscope was used to observe the morphology of BMSCs. Results The developed strain loading device for adherent cells in vitro could provide mechanical unidirectional strain up to 50% with three groups of cell loading substrates; within the 10% stain range, the area of uniform strain filed on the silastic chamber remained above 50%, which ensured that the cells were loaded evenly; the morphology of BMSCs was obviously altered, and the direction of arrangement tended to be perpendicular to the loading direction of principal strain. Conclusions The device shows the advantages of reliable operation, wide strain range, adjustable frequency and convenient operation. It can be used to load multiple cell culture substrates at the same time, which provides convenient conditions for the study of cell mechanobiology.
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The elastic stress and viscous shear stress experienced by the vessel wall under pulse blood pressure and blood flow and the mechanical properties of the substrate constitute the in vivo mechanical niches of vascular cells, and these mechanical stimuli are involved in regulating the biological responses of vascular cells and inducing the remodeling and pathological changes of vascular tissues. Although many experimental studies on vascular mechanobiology have been reported, the quantitative correlation between the mechanical stimuli of in vitro experiments and the physiological and pathological conditions of blood vessels remains to be elucidated. This paper summarized the quantitative evaluation method of in vivo mechanical niches of vascular cells from the viewpoint of biomechanics, and then focused on effects of the physiological locations and aging on mechanical behaviors of the vessel wall. This paper also explored the physiological and pathological characteristics of the cellular mechanical niches and their implications for current vascular mechanobiological studies.
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Fracture is a common physical injury. Its healing process involves complex biological activities at tissue, cellular and molecular levels and is affected by mechanical and biological factors. Over recent years, numerical simulation methods have been widely used to explore the mechanisms of fracture healing, design fixators and develop novel treatment strategies, etc. This paper mainly recommend the numerical methods used for simulating fracture healing and their latest research progress, which helps people better understand the mechanism of fracture healing, and also provides direction and guidance for the numerical simulation research of fracture healing in the future. First, the fracture healing process and its relationship with mechanical stimulation and biological factors are described. Then, the numerical models used for simulating fracture healing (including mechano-regulatory model, biological regulatory model and mechano-biological regulatory model) and corresponding modeling techniques (mainly including agent-based techniques and fuzzy logic controlling method) were summarized in particular. Finally, the future research directions in numerical simulation of fracture healing were preliminarily prospected.
Subject(s)
Humans , Computer Simulation , Fracture Healing , Fractures, Bone , Models, Biological , Stress, MechanicalABSTRACT
The dynamic coupling of stent degradation and vessel remodeling can influence not only the structural morphology and material property of stent and vessel, but also the development of in-stent restenosis. The research achievements of biomechanical modelling and analysis of stent degradation and vessel remodeling were reviewed; several noteworthy research perspectives were addressed, a stent-vessel coupling model was developed based on stent damage function and vessel growth function, and then concepts of matching ratio and risk factor were established so as to evaluate the treatment effect of stent intervention, which may lay the scientific foundation for the structure design, mechanical analysis and clinical application of biodegradable stent.
Subject(s)
Humans , Biomechanical Phenomena , Constriction, Pathologic , StentsABSTRACT
Biomechanics has become one of the most active research fields in biomedical engineering. In recent years, remarkable progresses in biomechanics have been made in exploring the mechanism from cellular and molecular level, and developing new therapeutic or diagnostic concepts and technologies based on biomechanical theory and methods, which effectively promote the development of basic biomedical science and clinic, and relevant research fields related to human health and diseases. In this review, the advances in biomechanics of vascular, musculoskeletal system, organ, cellular and molecular research fields, etc. in China during the year 2016-2018 were mainly introduced.
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Bone remodeling can keep the biomechanical properties, which is of great significance to maintain bone strength. Normal skeletal development requires tight coordination of transcriptional networks, signaling pathways and biomechanical cues, and many of these pathways are dysregulated in pathological conditions affecting bone. lncRNA is a group of RNAs with broad biogenesis, which are longer than 200 nt and highly conserved in their secondary and tertiary structures. Studies show that many lncRNAs are involved in normal development or balance of the skeletal system, the regulation of osteoblast differentiation, and the pathogenesis of osteosarcoma. Dysregulation of lncRNA expression is closely related to many bone diseases and it is expected to be a biomarker for predicting bone diseases. In this review, the characteristics and mechanisms of lncRNA involved in bone remodeling and its possible role were summarized, and the likely utility of IncRNAs as biomarkers and therapeutic targets for diseases of the skeletal system was discussed, including osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and cancers of the skeletal system, so as to provide references for the better understanding and study on lncRNA biological function in organisms.
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BACKGROUND: The mechanical deformability of cancer cells has attracted particular attention as an emerging biomarker for the prediction of anti-cancer drug sensitivity. Nevertheless, it has not been possible to establish a general rubric for the identification of drug susceptibility in breast cancer cells from a mechanical perspective. In the present study, we investigated the mechanical alteration associated with resistance to adjuvant therapy in breast cancer cells. METHODS: We performed an ‘atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based nanomechanical study’ on ‘drug-sensitive (MCF-7)’ and ‘drug-resistant (MCF-7/ADR)’ breast cancer cells. We also conducted cell viability tests to evaluate the difference in doxorubicin responsiveness between two breast cancer cell lines. We carried out a wound closure experiment to investigate the motility changes associated with chemotherapeutic resistance. To elucidate the changes in molecular alteration that accompany chemotherapeutic resistance, we investigated the expression of vinculin and integrin-linked kinase-1–which are proteins involved in substrate adhesion and the actin cytoskeleton–using Western blotting analysis. RESULTS: A MTT assay confirmed that the dose-dependent efficacy of doxorubicin was reduced in MCF-7/ADR cells compared to that in MCF-7 cells. The wound assay revealed enhanced two-dimensional motility in the MCF-7/ADR cells. The AFM mechanical assay showed evidence that the drug-resistant breast cancer cells exhibited a significant decrease in mechanical deformability compared to their drug-sensitive counterparts. The mechanical alteration in the MCF-7/ADR cells was accompanied by upregulated vinculin expression. CONCLUSIONS: The obtained results manifestly showed that the altered mechanical signatures–including mechanical deformability and motility–were closely related with drug resistance in the breast cancer cells. We believe that this investigation has improved our understanding of the chemotherapeutic susceptibility of breast cancer cells.
Subject(s)
Actins , Biophysics , Blotting, Western , Breast Neoplasms , Breast , Cell Line , Cell Survival , Doxorubicin , Drug Resistance , Drug Resistance, Multiple , Elastic Modulus , MCF-7 Cells , Microscopy, Atomic Force , Vinculin , Wounds and InjuriesABSTRACT
The mechanobiological mechanism in vascular homeostasis and vascular remodeling is one of the most important areas in stress-growth research,which is still unclear.Proteomics analysis,which is a high-throughput and systemic technic,is recently combined with biomechanics,bioinformatics and traditional molecular biology,and applied to demonstrate the mechanism of vascular remodeling induced by different kinds of mechanical stresses.These multidisciplinary and integrated technologies give new insights into understanding the mechanobiological mechanism of vascular remodeling and provide novel potential targets of clinical therapy on cardiovascular diseases.During recent years,the Institute of Mechanobiology & Medical Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University has launched systematic researches with 3 steps:phenomenon exploration with mechanobiological experiments,bioinformatics analysis,and biological and experimental verifications,which established a potential mechanotransduction networks and more than 60 kinds of the novel mechanoresponsive molecules as well.Further researches were performed to demonstrate the role of these molecules in regulation of cellular functions under different kinds of mechanical stimuli.This paper reviews the recent progresses in vascular proteomics and the relative researches on mechanobiology.Researches based on mechanics-proteomics technics may contribute to the understanding of the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases,and provide novel therapeutic targets for vascular remodeling during hypertension and atherosclerosis.
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The mechanobiological mechanism in vascular homeostasis and vascular remodeling is one of the most important areas in stress-growth research,which is still unclear.Proteomics analysis,which is a high-throughput and systemic technic,is recently combined with biomechanics,bioinformatics and traditional molecular biology,and applied to demonstrate the mechanism of vascular remodeling induced by different kinds of mechanical stresses.These multidisciplinary and integrated technologies give new insights into understanding the mechanobiological mechanism of vascular remodeling and provide novel potential targets of clinical therapy on cardiovascular diseases.During recent years,the Institute of Mechanobiology & Medical Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University has launched systematic researches with 3 steps:phenomenon exploration with mechanobiological experiments,bioinformatics analysis,and biological and experimental verifications,which established a potential mechanotransduction networks and more than 60 kinds of the novel mechanoresponsive molecules as well.Further researches were performed to demonstrate the role of these molecules in regulation of cellular functions under different kinds of mechanical stimuli.This paper reviews the recent progresses in vascular proteomics and the relative researches on mechanobiology.Researches based on mechanics-proteomics technics may contribute to the understanding of the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases,and provide novel therapeutic targets for vascular remodeling during hypertension and atherosclerosis.
ABSTRACT
The mechanobiological mechanism in vascular homeostasis and vascular remodeling is one of the most important areas in stress-growth research,which is still unclear.Proteomics analysis,which is a high-throughput and systemic technic,is recently combined with biomechanics,bioinformatics and traditional molecular biology,and applied to demonstrate the mechanism of vascular remodeling induced by different kinds of mechanical stresses.These multidisciplinary and integrated technologies give new insights into understanding the mechanobiological mechanism of vascular remodeling and provide novel potential targets of clinical therapy on cardiovascular diseases.During recent years,the Institute of Mechanobiology & Medical Engineering of Shanghai Jiao Tong University has launched systematic researches with 3 steps:phenomenon exploration with mechanobiological experiments,bioinformatics analysis,and biological and experimental verifications,which established a potential mechanotransduction networks and more than 60 kinds of the novel mechanoresponsive molecules as well.Further researches were performed to demonstrate the role of these molecules in regulation of cellular functions under different kinds of mechanical stimuli.This paper reviews the recent progresses in vascular proteomics and the relative researches on mechanobiology.Researches based on mechanics-proteomics technics may contribute to the understanding of the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases,and provide novel therapeutic targets for vascular remodeling during hypertension and atherosclerosis.
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The International Symposium on Ligaments and Tendons (ISL&T) was inaugurated in 2000 in Orlando, Florida, USA. The primary purpose of the ISL&T was to call attention to the importance of ligament and tendon (L&T) research and to bring together bioengineers, biologists, and clinician-scientists in a forum where the most current research findings could be shared, critiqued and discussed. In each symposium since 2000, there have been a number of stimulating, thought-provoking discussions on current hot topics and future challenges. The ISL&T has taken place for 15 years now, and as a result, the L&T field has significantly expanded in quantity while the quality of research has also been greatly improved. In commemoration of the 30th anniversary of the Journal of Medical Biomechanics, this article will highlight some of the major advances in L&T research over the past three decades. Topics to be covered include tissue mechanics, mechanobiology, injury and healing mechanisms, and tissue repair and regeneration.
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Cells in the body are exposed to physiological and pathophysiological stimuli that encompass both chemical and mechanical factors. It is important to understand how these factors modulate functions at cellular and organ levels. Compared to the large amount of information on cellular or organ responses to chemical factors, there is a paucity of knowledge on the effects of mechanical factors. Recent advances of fluorescence proteins and microscopy make it a very useful tool for elucidating the mechanotransduction processes; the state-of-the-art technologies for live-cell imaging of signaling is particularly valuable for investigating the spatial and temporal aspects of molecular mechanisms in mechanobiology. This review will cover the basic knowledge of fluorescence proteins and their application for biological research. In particular, the development and characterization of biosensors based on fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) will be discussed. Genetically encoded FRET biosensors, which allows the imaging and quantification of tempo-spatial activation of molecules, will be introduced to demonstrate how the initiation and transmission of biochemical signals in response to local mechanical stimulation can be visualized in live cells. Specific emphasis will be on the elucidation of molecule hierarchy of signaling transduction in live cells upon the mechanical stimulation.
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Bone growth, development and maintenance, which become multidisciplinary with the rapid development of biomechanics, tissue engineering and cell biology, are intimately linked with bone remodeling. Mechanobiology has become an important method to study bone remodeling. This article summarizes related skeletal mechanobiology researches in recent years to provide theoretical basis for bone remodeling, bone tissue engineering and clinical treatments of related orthopedic disorders.