2D and 3D Mechanobiology in Human and Nonhuman Systems

Abstract

Mechanobiology involves the investigation of mechanical forces and their effect on the development, physiology, and pathology of biological systems. The human body has garnered much attention from many groups in the field, as mechanical forces have been shown to influence almost all aspects of human life ranging from breathing to cancer metastasis. Beyond being influential in human systems, mechanical forces have also been shown to impact nonhuman systems such as algae and zebrafish. Studies of nonhuman and human systems at the cellular level have primarily been done in two-dimensional (2D) environments, but most of these systems reside in three-dimensional (3D) environments. Furthermore, outcomes obtained from 3D studies are often quite different than those from 2D studies. We present here an overview of a select group of human and nonhuman systems in 2D and 3D environments. We also highlight mechanobiological approaches and their respective implications for human and nonhuman physiology.

Probing Endothelial Cell Mechanics through Connexin 43 Disruption

“…Proper functioning of the endothelium is crucial for vascular homeostasis and endothelial dysfunction can lead to life threatening conditions such as a stroke or heart attack [2,4,5]. As the innermost layer of the vasculature, the endothelium constantly experiences a plethora of biochemical and biomechanical stimulus [2,[6][7][8]. For example, histamine and thrombin prompts, ECs to contract and increases endothelial permeability [13][14][15].…”

Recent Advances in Experimental Methods of Cellular Force Sensing

“…Additionally, there are quite a few studies performed on TFM platform probing cell motility under the influence of different hormones or drugs [3][4][5][6]22]. Jang et.…”

“…Living cells employ a diversity of feedback mechanisms during their lifetime and generation of biomechanical force is one of them [1][2][3]. Biomechanical forces at the cellular level impact biological functions of the cell such as cellular growth, development, division, adhesion, and progression of pathological processes [4][5][6]. In addition, biomechanical forces generated by cells such as pushing, pulling or crawling are particularly important during their physical interaction with underlying extracellular matrix (ECM) and with their neighboring cells [1][2][3][4][5].…”

3D Miniaturization of Human Organs for Drug Discovery

“…[42][43][44] Independent of the approach used to develop 3D printing models, accurately recapitulating key aspects of the in vivo environment remains a major challenge. [45][46][47][48] A fundamental understanding of native tissues and organs is first needed before mimicking these in in vitro cultures. Continued progress of these areas will improve the relevance of 3D cultures for the biological investigations of human development and diseased states including drug assessment.…”