Uncover the latest and most impactful research in Cell Mechanics and Motility. Explore pioneering discoveries, insightful ideas and new methods from leading researchers in the field.
Hydrostatic pressure is an important mechanical regulator of cellular behavior, yet its biological effects remain poorly understood. In this study, LoVo cells were exposed to controlled positive and negative hydrostatic pressure using a custom-built...
While regulation of spindle positioning and orientation is known to be mediated by cortical pulling forces generated by dynein on astral microtubules, the contribution of microtubule-based pushing forces remains less clear. We developed a...
Cellular adhesion is a central determinant of functional three-dimensional tissue structures. The challenges lie in restoring stable cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix adhesion from dissociated cells without compromising cell integrity and impairing...
This review presents a comprehensive overview of methodologies employed to measure and quantify the biomechanical properties of single cells, focusing on techniques that provide insights into cellular deformation and force response. Understanding...
Purpose Actin-bundle organization is essential for vascular smooth muscle cell mechanics and is implicated in actin-related diseases. However, it remains unclear how cell stretching affects intracellular actin bundles when actin polymerization is...
This paper presents the analysis and numerical simulations of a two-dimensional model of single-cell crawling migration, focusing on intracellular dynamics. The fluid-based model relies on the interaction between the actin cytoskeleton and a generic...
What happens when you poke a living cell, applying a localized external force to its surface? The answer depends, in part, on how long you keep poking. The plasma membrane and the actomyosin cortex beneath it form a mechanically active interface...
Cellular volume homeostasis is essential for maintaining the stability of cell structure and functions. The regulation of cell volume is a mechano-electrical coupling process, where mechanical forces (such as osmotic pressure, hydrostatic pressure,...
Gravity influences biological systems at many levels, yet its contribution to vertebrate cell migration remains poorly understood. Here, we examined how fish keratocytes alter their migratory behavior when the orientation of the gravity vector...
Cell memory describes the capacity of a cell to retain induced biological changes following withdrawal of initiating signals. Accumulating evidence reveals that mechanical stimuli in the microenvironment not only drive immediate structural...
Purpose This work investigates the role of morphology and elasticity on cancer cell deformation under shear flow in a microchannel. Methods A novel hybrid continuum-particle framework is developed to simulate cancer cell dynamics. Cell membrane and...
Focal adhesion (FA) dynamics and cell migration depend sensitively on the mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix, yet substrate stiffness alone cannot account for the distinct behaviours observed on natural versus artificial materials. In...
Red blood cells play a dominant mechanical role in blood flow and strongly influence the transport and arrest of circulating tumor cells during metastasis. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are subject to physical interactions with blood components and...
The swimming motility of the bacterial pathogen Vibrio cholerae is a virulence factor that aids in breaching the mucus layer. V. choleraehas a curved cell shape, and previous work demonstrated that loss of curvature decreases infectivity. Here, we...
The mechanisms underlying mechanical differences among cancer cell lines with varying metastatic potential remain poorly understood, despite their clear therapeutic relevance. While comparisons between malignant and benign cell mechanics reveal...
Microtubules are well-researched components of the cytoskeleton, yet we lack a holistic understanding that bridges molecular and cellular details with the broader functions of the microtubule cytoskeleton in development, ageing and disease. For...
Increased matrix stiffness is a key physical signal affecting the migration of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, and mitochondrial dynamics and function also play important roles in cell migration. Plectin may influence mitochondrial dynamics...
In many plant cells, there are two types of mitochondrial motion: directed and wiggling. While the former is mediated by F-actin and microtubules, the latter is not. The fact that mitochondria migrate via wiggling suggests the existence of other...
The limited selectivity of conventional cancer therapies has stimulated interest in alternative approaches that exploit the distinct mechanical properties of cancer cells. Oscillatory mechanical stimuli, including low-intensity ultrasound and cyclic...
Announcement We are pleased to announce that Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology will become a fully open access (OA) on 1 January 2027. As a...
The field of cellular and molecular bioengineering seeks to understand, so that we may ultimately control, the mechanical, chemical, and electrical...
npj Biological Physics and Mechanicsconsiders research that explores the understanding of physical and mechanical aspects of biological processes...
