Mapping how cells push and pull in living tissues
Official title: Mapping, Modulating, and Modeling Intercellular Forces in Living Tissues
Funded at Princeton University · NIH-11452897 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A science project at Princeton aims to map and control the forces between cells in 3D tissues to better understand cancer, development, and healing, with potential benefits for patients in the future.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Princeton University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Princeton, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | July 15, 2026 |
| Project end | March 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $451,000 |
| NIH project number | 1R35GM165761-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11452897 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people affected by cancers or tissue-related conditions where intercellular mechanics play a role and who may participate in future translational studies or biomaterial testing.
✕Less likely to help
Not all patients with cancer or tissue diseases will directly benefit from the current basic science without further clinical development.
What this research studies
This project will build and use new tools to visualize and gently adjust the forces that cells exert on one another inside living tissues. By combining advanced sensors, fast 3D imaging, and computer models, the team hopes to map intercellular forces with high spatial and temporal resolution. The goal is to connect mechanical signals with genetics and chemistry to inform cancer biology, tissue repair, and regenerative medicine. The work is designed to create a scalable platform that could eventually inform treatments and biomaterials used in patient care.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this platform could lead to new ways to diagnose or treat cancers and improve tissue repair and regenerative therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show that mechanical forces influence cell behavior, and this project aims to advance that understanding with new, scalable tools.
Where this research is happening
-
Princeton University
Princeton, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fu, Tian-Ming — Princeton University
- Study coordinator: Fu, Tian-Ming
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How neuropeptides could influence aging and Alzheimer’s risk
Researchers at Princeton are studying whether changing brain signaling chemicals called neuropeptides can extend healthy aging and reduce Alzheimer’s-related brain changes, with a focus on people at risk for Alzheimer’s disease dementia.
-
Sleep and aging brain resilience in a short-lived vertebrate model
A young-aged-friendly project explores how sleep quality affects brain health during aging, using a tiny, fast-lived fish model to understand Alzheimer’s-related changes.
-
How hepatitis C adapts to other species to help develop vaccines
Researchers are making a mouse-friendly version of hepatitis C so scientists can better test vaccines and understand the virus for people living with or at risk of hepatitis C.
-
Understanding how brain signals give rise to thinking using brain-wide recordings
Researchers at Princeton are developing new brain theories and computer tools to understand how complex neural signals relate to thinking and behavior.
-
Cancer metabolism revealed through mass spectrometry and isotope tracing
A scientist team at Princeton will study how cancer cells use nutrients by analyzing metabolites with advanced mass spectrometry and labeled tracers.
-
Forward genetic screen to find genes that shape left-right body patterning
A zebrafish-based study will uncover genes that control how left-right body asymmetry is set up, which can impact congenital heart defects in people.
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.