@article {316, title = {Balancing forces: architectural control of mechanotransduction.}, journal = {Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol}, volume = {12}, year = {2011}, month = {2011 May}, pages = {308-19}, abstract = {

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.

}, keywords = {Animals, Cell Adhesion, Extracellular Matrix, Homeostasis, Humans, Intercellular Junctions, Mechanotransduction, Cellular, Models, Biological, Stress, Mechanical}, issn = {1471-0080}, doi = {10.1038/nrm3112}, author = {DuFort, Christopher C and Paszek, Matthew J and Weaver, Valerie M} }