How scarred tissue stiffness changes monocytes
Immuno-mechanical regulation of monocytes in fibrotic niches
This project looks at how the stiffness and 'squishiness' of scarred tissues changes the behavior of monocytes, immune cells that help drive inflammation, healing, and cancer-related responses.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11252300 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient point of view, researchers are making lab-grown, tissue-like gels that copy the structure and mechanical feel of injured or scarred tissues. They will change how stiff or how quickly the gels relax stress to see whether monocytes become inflammatory cells or stay immature. The team uses these biomaterials together with bone marrow–derived and other monocytes to map how physical cues control immune signaling. Results aim to explain why fibrotic or tumor environments drive harmful inflammation and to point to ways to change that response.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Patients with fibrotic diseases, certain cancers, or people willing to donate blood or bone marrow samples would be the most relevant candidates for related future studies.
Not a fit: People without conditions involving monocyte-driven inflammation or tissue fibrosis are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this basic laboratory research in the short term.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to reduce harmful inflammation or fibrosis by targeting how monocytes sense tissue mechanics, potentially informing future treatments for scarring and cancer.
How similar studies have performed: Prior laboratory studies show that tissue stiffness affects immune cell behavior, but applying tunable viscoelastic gels to control monocyte fate is a relatively new and developing approach.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- University of Pennsylvania — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Vining, Kyle Holmberg — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Vining, Kyle Holmberg
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.