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Updated: Feb 19, 2026

Combining 3D Magnetic Force Actuator and Multi-Functional Fluorescence Imaging to Study Nucleus Mechanobiology
Published on: July 5, 2022
Mechano-adaptation of the stem cell nucleus
Su-Jin Heo1,2, Brian D Cosgrove1,2, Eric N Dai1,2
1a McKay Orthopaedic Research Laboratory , Department of Orthopaedic Surgery , Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , PA , USA.
Abstract:
Exogenous mechanical forces are transmitted through the cell and to the nucleus, initiating mechanotransductive signaling cascades with profound effects on cellular function and stem cell fate. A growing body of evidence has shown that the force sensing and force-responsive elements of the nucleus adapt to these mechanotransductive events, tuning their response to future mechanical input. The mechanisms underlying this "mechano-adaptation" are only just beginning to be elucidated, and it remains poorly understood how these components act and adapt in tandem to drive stem cell differentiation. Here, we review the evidence on how the stem cell nucleus responds and adapts to physical forces, and provide a perspective on how this mechano-adaptation may function to drive and enforce stem cell differentiation.
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