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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 13, 2026

Using a Microfluidics Device for Mechanical Stimulation and High Resolution Imaging of C. elegans

Using a Microfluidics Device for Mechanical Stimulation and High Resolution Imaging of C. elegans

Published on: February 19, 2018

Primed to squeeze: mechanical memory in confined migration.

Marine Luciano¹, Sylvain Gabriele¹

¹SYMBIOSE Lab, Research Institute for Biosciences, AdHuCell Platform, CIRMAP, University of Mons (UMONS), Place du Parc, 20, Mons B-7000, Belgium.

Trends in Cell Biology

|July 11, 2026

Summary

Cells can remember mechanical stress. Stiffness priming improves cell migration via NFATC2-dependent pathways, highlighting cellular mechanical memory.

Keywords:

confined migration mechanical memory priming stiffness

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Last Updated: Jul 13, 2026

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Mechanostimulation of Multicellular Organisms Through a High-Throughput Microfluidic Compression System

Mechanostimulation of Multicellular Organisms Through a High-Throughput Microfluidic Compression System

Published on: December 23, 2022

Area of Science:

Cellular mechanobiology
Biophysics
Molecular biology

Background:

Cells constantly encounter physical forces in their environment.
Understanding how cells adapt to mechanical stimuli is crucial for tissue development and disease.
The concept of cellular mechanical memory is an emerging field.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if cells retain memory of past mechanical experiences.
To explore the mechanisms underlying cellular adaptation to mechanical challenges.
To determine if prior mechanical conditioning enhances future physical task performance.

Main Methods:

Stiffness priming of cells.
Analysis of confined cell migration.
Investigating Nuclear Factor of Activated T-cells 2 (NFATC2)-dependent pathways.

Main Results:

Stiffness priming significantly enhances confined cell migration.
The enhancement is mediated by NFATC2-dependent cellular programs.
This suggests a specific molecular mechanism for cellular mechanical memory.

Conclusions:

Cells exhibit a form of memory for past mechanical environments.
This mechanical memory involves specific molecular pathways like NFATC2.
Cellular mechanical memory operates as a hierarchy of states across different timescales.