Blood cells can sense and respond to mechanical cues, such as hemodynamic forces and pressures when they circulate in flowing blood and interact with other cells or extracellular matrix. A blood cell senses (mechanosensing) the mechanical properties of ligands, other cells, and extracellular matrix and translates them inside the cell (mechanotransduction), resulting in protein activation and secretion, morphological change, and gene expression. These critical events might be altered under pathological conditions and are the pathogenesis of diseases. In recent years, the development of various super-resolution microscopy and force biosensors allows us to demonstrate and assess how a blood cell responds to mechanical stimuli. Precisely quantifying the mechanical cues that a blood cell can sense and elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which a blood cell responds provide novel insights into blood cell functions and develop new therapeutic targets.
A blood cell can sense the biomechanical microenvironment and responds accordingly. However, the mechanisms underlying these responses are still needed further investigation. The conformation of a receptor might change when it interacts with ECM proteins or a ligand on another cell membrane under force. Demonstrating the spatiotemporal distribution of receptors with different conformations and precisely quantifying the force exerted on the receptors at the single molecular level in situ is of interest. The mechanical signal outside the cell must be transduced or converted into intracellular chemical signals. Identifying the key players and characterizing the signal propagation is critical. Novel techniques and mathematical modeling are important tools to decipher the mechano-chemical coupling process. The goal of this Research Topic is to provide new insights into the mechanobiology of blood cells in physiological and pathological conditions.
In this Research Topic, we aim to understand the interactions between the biomechanical environment and blood cells under physiological and pathological conditions. Researchers are welcome to submit their contributions on the following, but not limited to, subjects:
1, Mechanical properties of proteins and blood cells.
2, Mechanical triggering conformational changes of biomolecules and their functions under physiological and pathological conditions.
3, Signaling pathway and functions of blood cells stimulated under mechanical environment.
4, Multiscale computational/theoretical modeling of blood cell-blood cell and blood cell-ECM interactions.
Blood cells can sense and respond to mechanical cues, such as hemodynamic forces and pressures when they circulate in flowing blood and interact with other cells or extracellular matrix. A blood cell senses (mechanosensing) the mechanical properties of ligands, other cells, and extracellular matrix and translates them inside the cell (mechanotransduction), resulting in protein activation and secretion, morphological change, and gene expression. These critical events might be altered under pathological conditions and are the pathogenesis of diseases. In recent years, the development of various super-resolution microscopy and force biosensors allows us to demonstrate and assess how a blood cell responds to mechanical stimuli. Precisely quantifying the mechanical cues that a blood cell can sense and elucidating the molecular mechanisms by which a blood cell responds provide novel insights into blood cell functions and develop new therapeutic targets.
A blood cell can sense the biomechanical microenvironment and responds accordingly. However, the mechanisms underlying these responses are still needed further investigation. The conformation of a receptor might change when it interacts with ECM proteins or a ligand on another cell membrane under force. Demonstrating the spatiotemporal distribution of receptors with different conformations and precisely quantifying the force exerted on the receptors at the single molecular level in situ is of interest. The mechanical signal outside the cell must be transduced or converted into intracellular chemical signals. Identifying the key players and characterizing the signal propagation is critical. Novel techniques and mathematical modeling are important tools to decipher the mechano-chemical coupling process. The goal of this Research Topic is to provide new insights into the mechanobiology of blood cells in physiological and pathological conditions.
In this Research Topic, we aim to understand the interactions between the biomechanical environment and blood cells under physiological and pathological conditions. Researchers are welcome to submit their contributions on the following, but not limited to, subjects:
1, Mechanical properties of proteins and blood cells.
2, Mechanical triggering conformational changes of biomolecules and their functions under physiological and pathological conditions.
3, Signaling pathway and functions of blood cells stimulated under mechanical environment.
4, Multiscale computational/theoretical modeling of blood cell-blood cell and blood cell-ECM interactions.