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Updated: Jul 6, 2025
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Author Spotlight: Evaluation of Protein-Condensate Dynamics in Live Human Cells
Published on: January 5, 2024
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Pulling the strings on solid-to-liquid phase transitions in cell collectives
Diana Pinheiro1, Jennifer Mitchel2
1Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP), Vienna BioCenter (VBC), Vienna, 1030, Austria.
Current Opinion in Cell Biology
|January 4, 2024
Summary
Living tissues transition between solid and fluid states, but the biological signals driving these changes are unclear. This perspective highlights emerging evidence on the molecular mechanisms governing tissue rheology and collective cell behavior.
Area of Science:
- Cell biology
- Biophysics
- Tissue dynamics
Background:
- Epithelial tissues must adapt to diverse biological contexts, from maintaining homeostasis to undergoing remodeling during development, wound healing, and cancer invasion.
- Transitions between solid-like and fluid-like states in cell collectives are observed, analogous to inert materials, but the underlying biological control mechanisms are poorly understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore emerging evidence on biological signals that regulate the collective state of living tissues.
- To emphasize how these signaling mechanisms are utilized for functional adaptation in various biological contexts.
Main Methods:
- This perspective synthesizes current research and emerging findings.
- It focuses on identifying upstream signaling pathways and molecular effectors.
Main Results:
- The study highlights key biological signals that determine the collective physical properties of tissues.
- It discusses how these signals control tissue rheology and dynamics.
Conclusions:
- Understanding the biological control of tissue rheology is crucial for comprehending tissue function in health and disease.
- Emerging evidence points to specific signaling pathways as key regulators of collective cell behavior and tissue state transitions.
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