Understanding how cells respond to mechanical forces
Official title: Mechanical Information Processing from Sub-cellular to Tissue Scales
Funded at University of Chicago · NIH-11012191 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how the way cells move and respond to physical forces affects important processes like growth and death, which can help us find better treatments for conditions like cancer and heart disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $541,967 |
| NIH project number | 1R35GM156484-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11012191 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are individuals with cancer or cardiovascular diseases who may benefit from new therapeutic approaches targeting cell mechanics.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with conditions unrelated to cell mechanics or those who are not undergoing treatment for cancer or cardiovascular diseases may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how the mechanical behaviors of cells influence important physiological processes such as cell growth, movement, and programmed cell death, which are crucial in conditions like cancer and cardiovascular diseases. By using advanced techniques like live cell imaging and mathematical modeling, the research aims to uncover the principles behind how cells sense and respond to mechanical forces. This knowledge could lead to new ways to engineer cell and tissue behavior, potentially improving treatments for various diseases.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to innovative therapies that manipulate cell behavior to treat diseases like cancer and cardiovascular disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown promising results in understanding cell mechanics and its implications for disease, indicating that this approach has potential for significant advancements.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Chicago
Chicago, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gardel, Margaret Lise — University of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Gardel, Margaret Lise
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Education and violence: Can high-dosage tutoring reduce youth violence
A large study in Chicago schools will test whether high-dosage tutoring for students can lessen youth violence by improving learning and outcomes.
-
Cognitive SuperAging: Exploring why some octogenarians stay sharp in memory
This NIH grant studies why a small group of people aged 80+ keep memory skills as good as much younger people, hoping to understand how to protect memory as we age.
-
Lens proteins, cell stress, and cataracts in kids and adults
A study aims to understand how lens proteins and cellular stress contribute to cataracts, in both humans and mice, with the goal of guiding prevention or treatment.
-
Understanding how neurons keep their identity and function for life
Scientists are studying how nerve cells maintain their distinctive identity and function from development through aging, using human-derived neurons and a simple worm model to uncover the long-term control of brain cell behavior.
-
Cardiac Sarcomere Protein Quality Control in Health and Disease
A heart-focused study looking at how heart muscle proteins get misfolded and how the cell’s cleanup system might fix this to protect heart function.
-
Communication Bridge: Improving language therapy for people with primary progressive aphasia
A proven language-therapy program called Communication Bridge helps people with primary progressive aphasia improve and maintain how they communicate with others.
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.