Mechanotransduction and Mechanosensing : Roles and Effects on Biological Systems under Physiological and Pathological Conditions

This volume explores how cells and tissues sense and respond to mechanical forces, revealing their roles in health and disease, and presenting the latest models and therapeutic strategies in the field of mechanobiology. All living organisms are subject to mechanical forces, such as tension, compression, shear, torsion, bending and friction. Organisms and their components must sense and respond to these forces. Cells, cellular organelles, tissues and organs detect the physical properties of their internal and external environments, including spatial topography, substrate rigidity, compactness and porosity. After sensing these mechanical cues, they transmit the information to their structural and molecular components. These components then adjust the cell's structure, molecular composition, gene expression, signalling pathways, spatial arrangement, cell cycle, longevity, and other functions. The book looks at new developments in our understanding of these processes in various cells, describes the roles of mechanosensing and mechanotransduction in disease, and presents novel mechanosensation models and therapeutic approaches.