All cells exist within the context of a three-dimensional microenvironment in which they are exposed to mechanical and physical cues. These cues can be disrupted through perturbations to mechanotransduction, from the nanoscale-level to the tissue-level, which compromises tensional homeostasis to promote pathologies such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. The mechanisms of such perturbations suggest that a complex interplay exists between the extracellular microenvironment and cellular function. Furthermore, sustained disruptions in tensional homeostasis can be caused by alterations in the extracellular matrix, allowing it to serve as a mechanically based memory-storage device that can perpetuate a disease or restore normal tissue behaviour. © 2011 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.
CITATION STYLE
Dufort, C. C., Paszek, M. J., & Weaver, V. M. (2011, May). Balancing forces: Architectural control of mechanotransduction. Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrm3112
Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.