Measuring and controlling the tiny forces cells use to sense and reshape tissues
Measuring and Programming Piconewton Receptor Forces for Synthetic Mechanobiology
['FUNDING_OTHER'] · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · NIH-11252792
This project makes fluorescent sensors that show the tiny pulling forces used by cancer and immune cells and tries to program those forces to change cell behavior.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_OTHER'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (MADISON, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11252792 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
Researchers will create new fluorescent “mechanoimaging” tools that light up when single cell receptors apply piconewton-scale forces. They will use those sensors on viscoelastic, tissue-like materials to measure how fibroblasts, cancer cells, and T cells pull on and remodel their surroundings. The team will also attempt to program cellular forces to steer immune cell function. Most work will be done in the lab with cell cultures, engineered biomaterials, and advanced microscopy.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with cancer or immune-related conditions who are interested in contributing tissue or immune cells for lab studies or in future clinical follow-ups would be the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: Patients seeking immediate new treatments are unlikely to benefit directly because this is early-stage laboratory research focused on tools and basic mechanisms.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to new ways to detect how cancer and immune cells physically interact with tissues and to approaches that reprogram immune responses or slow tumor spread.
How similar studies have performed: Related molecular force-sensor methods exist, but applying them to viscoelastic, tissue-like materials and programming T cell forces is a novel and less-tested direction.
Where this research is happening
MADISON, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON — MADISON, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: BROCKMAN, JOSHUA MARK — UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- Study coordinator: BROCKMAN, JOSHUA MARK
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