How cells sense mechanical forces through integrin attachments
Computational models of cell mechanosensing through integrin-based adhesions
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH · NIH-11170657
This project builds computer models to show how integrins, a type of cell surface protein, let cancer and heart cells feel and respond to mechanical forces that can affect disease.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (SALT LAKE CITY, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11170657 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers will create computer simulations at multiple scales to map how integrin proteins change shape and bind to their surroundings when mechanical forces change. They will combine detailed molecular dynamics with simplified (coarse-grained) models and larger-scale stochastic methods to link molecular events to cell-level behavior. The team will then connect these molecular pathways to how cells spread and move, processes that matter in cancer growth and blood vessel function. The work is done on computers in a lab at the University of Utah and does not involve enrolling patients directly.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cancers or cardiovascular diseases are the groups most likely to benefit from the long-term findings because the project focuses on integrin mechanisms relevant to tumor and vascular cell behavior.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate new treatments or those with conditions unrelated to cell adhesion or mechanobiology are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this basic computational project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal molecular targets to control cell movement, guiding future treatments to limit tumor spread or improve vascular repair.
How similar studies have performed: Laboratory and prior computational studies have shown integrins respond to force, but this integrated multiscale modeling approach linking molecular changes to whole-cell motion is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
SALT LAKE CITY, UNITED STATES
- UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH — SALT LAKE CITY, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: BIDONE, TAMARA — UTAH STATE HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEM--UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
- Study coordinator: BIDONE, TAMARA
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, Cardiovascular Diseases