Understanding the extracellular forces that determine cell fate and maintenance
Open accessAbstract
Stem cells interpret signals from their microenvironment while simultaneously modifying the niche through secreting factors and exerting mechanical forces. Many soluble stem cell cues have been determined over the past century, but in the past decade, our molecular understanding of mechanobiology has advanced to explain how passive and active forces induce similar signaling cascades that drive self-renewal, migration, differentiation or a combination of these outcomes. Improvements in stem cell culture methods, materials and biophysical tools that assess function have improved our understanding of these cascades. Here, we summarize these advances and offer perspective on ongoing challenges.
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Morphogen gradients regulate tissue patterning and development.
“from early embryogenesis studies, it is known that morphogen gradients regulate tissue patterning and development17,18.”
From Organoids (2022) · cites this paper as [18]
The Introduction (page unavailable) says soluble cues help orchestrate early development and identifies chemical gradients as inputs that cells integrate. It does not specifically identify morphogen gradients or say that they regulate tissue patterning. (LLM, conf=0.72)
Experimental — accuracy not yet measuredWith directed flow and gradients of gas or small molecules, microfluidic systems can finely control environmental parameters within organoids.
“With directed flow and gradients of gas or small molecules, these systems can finely control environmental parameters within organoids18.”
From Organoids (2022) · cites this paper as [18]
The section on externally applied forces discusses fluid-flow shear in developing embryos and cultured stem cells, while the Conclusions mention organoids and the need for defined conditions. Searches for microfluidic control, directed flow, and gas or small-molecule gradients found no passage saying these systems finely control environmental parameters within organoids. (LLM, conf=0.75)
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References 133 · Cited by 175
- Authors
- Kumar, A., Placone, J. K., & Engler, A. J.
- Affiliations
- University of California San Diego (US)
- Corresponding author
- Kumar, Aditya
- Venue
- Development
- Publisher
- The Company of Biologists
- Published
- 2017-12-01
- Volume
- 144
- Issue
- 23
- Pages
- 4261-4270
- ISSN
- 0950-1991 (ISSN-L)
- 1477-9129
- PMC
- PMC5769638
- OpenAlex
- W2771052038
- Cited by
- 175
- References
- 133
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 11 · 2023: 22 · 2022: 20 · 2021: 39 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 1
- FWCI
- 1.85
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Development (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- HighWire Press Open Archive (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health (R01AG045428, F32HL126406, T32AR060712)
- National Science Foundation (1463689)
- Achievement Rewards for College Scientists Foundation
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Cellular Mechanics and Interactions
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer Cells and Metastasis
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Developmental Neuroscience › Neurogenesis and neuroplasticity mechanisms
- Keywords
- mechanobiology, stem cells, stem cell niche, cell fate, self-renewal, cell migration, cell differentiation, mechanical signaling, stem cell culture
- MeSH terms
- Actomyosin, Animals, Biomechanical Phenomena, Cell Differentiation, Extracellular Matrix, Humans, Stem Cells, Transcription Factors, Signal Transduction, Cell Culture Techniques, Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly, Stem Cell Niche, Biophysical Phenomena
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