How cell surface receptors sense mechanical forces
Decoding mechanotransduction mechanisms of cell-surface receptors
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA · NIH-11235181
This project explores how cells feel and respond to physical forces to help people with cancer and heart conditions.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11235181 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers are developing tools to measure the tiny forces felt by individual proteins on cell surfaces and using those tools to find the molecules that sense tension. They combine high-resolution force measurements with CRISPR-based screens to discover which proteins change cell behavior in stiff or abnormal tissues. The team studies these mechanosensing proteins in the context of cancer and cardiac biology to understand how altered mechanics contribute to disease. Findings will guide new approaches that aim to correct harmful mechanical signals in diseased tissues.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants would be people with cancer or cardiac conditions who are willing to donate tissue or blood samples or join future clinical studies built on these discoveries.
Not a fit: People without cancer or heart disease, or those seeking immediate changes to their current care, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this laboratory-focused research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify new targets and strategies for treatments or diagnostics that fix abnormal mechanical signaling in cancer and heart disease.
How similar studies have performed: Recent studies using picoNewton force measurements and genetic screens have produced promising lab findings, but translating mechanotransduction discoveries into patient therapies remains early and largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA — MINNEAPOLIS, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: GORDON, WENDY RYAN — UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
- Study coordinator: GORDON, WENDY RYAN
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Conditions: Cancers, Cardiac Diseases, Cardiac Disorders