Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 19, 2025

Mimicking the Function of Signaling Proteins: Toward Artificial Signal Transduction Therapy
Published on: September 29, 2016
Decoding force-transmission linkages for therapeutic targeting and engineering
Jingzhun Liu1, Yunxin Deng2, Jie Yan
1Department of Physics, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117542, Singapore.
None:
Mechanosensing and mechanotransduction enable cells to perceive and respond to mechanical forces, underpinning essential physiological processes and disease pathways. Central to these phenomena are force-transmission supramolecular linkages, which undergo structural transitions and regulate signaling proteins in response to mechanical stimuli. This review examines the mechanisms of these force-bearing linkages, focusing on force duration, dictated by the stability of protein-protein interfaces, and force-dependent mechanical structural changes of force-bearing domains in the linkage, which activates or deactivates mechanosensing domains. We discuss the emerging potential of these linkages as pharmaceutical targets, exploring drugs and peptides designed to modulate these mechanical properties. In addition, we highlight the application of artificial intelligence in protein engineering to enhance therapeutic precision by dynamically tuning these mechanosensing characteristics. Our synthesis of current findings and future perspectives aims to inform novel approaches to drug design and inspire future research in the field of mechanomedicine.
More Related Videos
12:30Vascular Gene Transfer from Metallic Stent Surfaces Using Adenoviral Vectors Tethered through Hydrolysable Cross-linkers
Published on: August 12, 2014
08:32Author Spotlight: Advancing Tendon Research by Developing Mouse Assembloids to Understand Cellular Mechanisms
Published on: March 22, 2024
Related Concept Videos
Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors
Major types that are helpful drug targets include:
Transducer Mechanism: G Protein–Coupled Receptors
GPCRs are also called heptahelical,...
Ligand Binding and Linkage
Signal Transduction: Overview
Typically, signal transduction involves three...
Transmission Shafts: Problem Solving
Next, use bending moment diagrams for the shaft to...