T cells use 'handshakes' to sort friends from foes
T cells, the security guards of the immune system, use a kind of mechanical "handshake" to test whether a cell they encounter is a friend or foe, a new study finds.
View ArticleDemystifying mechanotransduction ion channels
As blood flows through our vessels, the cells that constitute these vessels responds to the shear stress of blood flow to ensure normal circulation. This process of converting a mechanical force into a...
View ArticleMuscles on-a-chip provide insight into cardiac stem cell therapies
Stem cell-derived heart muscle cells may fail to effectively replace damaged cardiac tissue because they don't contract strongly enough, according to a study in The Journal of Cell Biology. The study,...
View ArticleAsthma cells scramble like 'there's a fire drill'
In people with asthma, the cells that line the airways in the lungs are unusually shaped and "scramble around like there's a fire drill going on." But according to a study at the Harvard T.H. Chan...
View ArticleCancer treatment models get real
Researchers at Rice University and University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center have developed a way to mimic the conditions under which cancer tumors grow in bones.
View ArticleForcing wounds to close
A collaborative study led by scientists from the Mechanobiology Institute (MBI) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) has revealed the mechanical forces that drive epithelial wound healing in...
View ArticleAtomic-level view provides new insight into translation of touch into nerve...
Whether stubbing a toe or stroking a cat, the sensation of touch starts out as a mechanical force that is then transformed into an electrical signal conveying pain or other sensations. Tiny channels in...
View ArticleXenon gas protects the brain after head injury
Treatment with xenon gas after a head injury reduces the extent of brain damage, according to a study in mice.
View ArticleResearchers show how cancer cells may respond to mechanical force
The push and pull of physical force can cause profound changes in the behavior of a cell. Two studies from researchers working at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center reveal how cells respond...
View ArticleResearchers discover reversible mechanism that increases muscle elasticity
How does yoga improve your flexibility? In the Mar 13 cover story of Cell, Columbia University biological sciences professor Julio Fernandez and team report the discovery of a new form of mechanical...
View ArticleStudy reveals target for drug development for chronic jaw pain disorder
Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJD) is the most common form of oral or facial pain, affecting over 10 million Americans. The chronic disorder can cause severe pain often associated with chewing or...
View ArticleResearcher provides insight into osteoarthritis
A researcher at The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research has discovered additional mechanical properties of articular cartilage, a protective cartilage on the ends of bones that wears down over...
View ArticleSecrets of gentle touch revealed
Stroke the soft body of a newborn fruit fly larva ever-so-gently with a freshly plucked eyelash, and it will respond to the tickle by altering its movement—an observation that has helped scientists at...
View ArticleLungs respond to hospital ventilator as if it were an infection
When hospital patients need assistance breathing and are placed on a mechanical ventilator for days at a time, their lungs react to the pressure generated by the ventilator with an out-of-control...
View ArticleHelping Hands reaches out to patients with cerebral palsy
With the aid of multiple force sensors and a digital dinosaur, a team of Rice University seniors known as Helping Hands hopes to restore strength and flexibility to the hands and wrists of children...
View ArticleHow immune cells move against invaders
UCSF scientists have discovered the unexpected way in which a key cell of the immune system prepares for battle. The finding, they said, offers insight into the processes that take place within these...
View ArticleScar findings could lead to new therapies
Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine report that they have identified the molecular pathway through which physical force contributes to scarring in mice.
View ArticleBaby hearts need rhythm to develop correctly
(Medical Xpress)—To develop correctly, baby hearts need rhythm...even before they have blood to pump.
View ArticleA storm in our veins
Suppose you're hiking through the forest on a sunny afternoon as a light breeze passes through the trees, gently grazing your skin. Suddenly the sky opens up and a rainstorm ensues. The trees keep you...
View ArticleUnderstanding the mechanics of cells to provide new medical insights
University of Southampton researchers are at the forefront of research into mechanobiology, an emerging field of science combining biology and engineering, which investigates the influence of...
View Article
![[imports/adg/photos/213899875_Police-Car-Lights-2.jpg]](http://wehco.media.clients.ellingtoncms.com/imports/adg/photos/213899875_Police-Car-Lights-2_t600.jpg?4326734cdb8e39baa3579048ef63ad7b451e7676)
