Narrow Results

The tumor microenvironment plays a critical role in tumorigenesis and metastasis. As tightly controlled extracellular matrix homeostasis is lost during tumor progression, a dysregulated extracellular matrix can significantly alter cellular phenotype and drive malignancy. Altered physical properties of the tumor microenvironment alter cancer cell behavior, limit delivery and efficacy of therapies, and correlate with tumorigenesis and patient prognosis. The physical features of the extracellular matrix during tumor progression have been characterized; however, a wide range of methods have been used between studies and cancer types resulting in a large range of reported values. Here, we discuss the significant mechanical and structural properties of the tumor microenvironment, summarizing their reported values and clinical impact across cancer type and grade. We attempt to integrate the values in the literature to identify sources of reported differences and commonalities to better understand how aberrant extracellular matrix dynamics contribute to cancer progression. An intimate understanding of altered matrix properties during malignant transformation will be crucial in effectively detecting, monitoring, and treating cancer.

Tissue engineering is a promising solution to address articular cartilage pathology. The creation of strategies for functional replacement of diseased cartilage relies heavily on the knowledge of the physiology and development of articular cartilage, especially in terms of the influence of biomechanical forces on the tissue. This review will present the current knowledge of biomechanical structure–function relationships of native articular cartilage, and synthesize this knowledge with strategies to engineer the tissue in vitro.

The lung contains both epithelial and mesenchymal cell types. Lung epithelial cells are characteristically localized at the interface between the organism and the environment and have many critical and vital functions such as the fluid balance, barrier protection, particulate clearance, production of both mucus and surfactants, and immune response initiation as well as tissue repair after injury. Lung cells are continuously exposed to mechanical stresses during their development and function. For example, lung epithelial cells are continuously exposed to varying levels of mechanical stresses due to lung’s complex structure and the cyclic deformation of the lung during the respiratory cycle. The normal functions of the lung are maintained under these tightly regulated conditions, and changes in mechanical stresses may profoundly affect different functions of lung cells and therefore the overall lung functions. A major goal of lung mechanobiology is to understand how the mechanical behavior of the lung emerges from its cellular and molecular constituents. The central role of mechanics in the lung function was revealed with the help of the rapid progress in seminal historical developments, including both the identification and characterization of the functions of lung surfactants. In this chapter, we will describe the effects of mechanical factors on lung development, and how the airway peristalsis affects lung development. In addition, we will describe the functional roles of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) in lung development and stretch transduction, as well as the functions of extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) in fetal lung development.