How cells sense mechanical forces and change immune and gene activity
Cellular mechanotransduction - from the immune response to transcriptional regulation
This work looks at how immune cells and other cells feel tiny physical forces and then change their behavior, which could help people with conditions like cancer.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Maryland, College Park NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Park, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11176947 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, scientists will watch immune cells and other cells with advanced microscopes to see how their skeletons and attachments create force at contact points. They will measure those forces, track single molecules and transcription factors, and read genome-wide changes in gene activity to link mechanics with gene control. The team uses cell samples (including immune cells), quantitative imaging, force measurements, genomics, and mathematical modeling to connect mechanical cues to functional immune and transcriptional responses. Over time this lab-focused work aims to point toward new targets or strategies relevant to diseases such as breast cancer.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients who might participate are those willing to donate blood or tumor tissue samples, particularly people with breast cancer, or healthy volunteers for immune-cell studies.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate treatment or direct clinical benefit should not expect that from this laboratory research, which is not a therapeutic trial.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could identify new ways to boost immune responses or alter gene regulation that might inform future cancer therapies.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have shown that the cytoskeleton and mechanical forces influence T cell activation and transcription factor behavior, but combining single-molecule imaging, force measurement, and genome-wide analysis in disease contexts is still relatively new.
Where this research is happening
College Park, United States
- Univ of Maryland, College Park — College Park, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Upadhyaya, Arpita — Univ of Maryland, College Park
- Study coordinator: Upadhyaya, Arpita
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.