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Heteromulticellular Stromal Cells in Scaffold-free 3D Cultures of Epithelial Cancer Cells to Drive Invasion
Published on: April 4, 2025
288
Shaping epithelial tissues by stem cell mechanics in development and cancer
Vincent F Fiore1, Jorge Almagro2, Elaine Fuchs3
1Department of Immunology and Respiratory Diseases Research, Boehringer Ingelheim, Ridgefield, CT, USA. Vincent.fiore@boehringer-ingelheim.com.
Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology
|January 29, 2025
Summary
Adult stem cells use mechanical forces, alongside signaling pathways, to maintain tissue health. Disruptions in these mechanical cues can lead to diseases like cancer.
Area of Science:
- Stem cell biology
- Biophysics
- Tissue engineering
Background:
- Adult stem cells self-renew and differentiate to maintain and repair tissues.
- Signaling pathways and transcriptional networks are known regulators of stem cell function.
- Mechanical forces are increasingly recognized as critical regulators of stem cell behavior and tissue homeostasis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of mechanical forces in adult stem cell function.
- To discuss how mechanical forces interact with signaling pathways and transcriptional networks.
- To explore the implications of disrupted stem cell niche mechanics in cancer, using skin stem cells as a model.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on mechanical forces in stem cell biology.
- Discussion of experimental advances in measuring and manipulating mechanical forces.
- Analysis of epithelial stem cell behavior in development and disease.
Main Results:
- Mechanical forces are crucial for coordinating stem cell division, migration, and differentiation.
- The interplay between mechanical forces, signaling, and transcription is vital for tissue homeostasis.
- Dysregulation of stem cell niche mechanics is implicated in cancer development.
Conclusions:
- Mechanical forces are integral to adult stem cell regulation and tissue maintenance.
- Understanding stem cell mechanics offers new insights into development and disease.
- The skin epithelium serves as a valuable model for studying stem cell-environment interactions.
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