Morphological control of cell growth and viability

Integrin-mediated cell adhesion and subsequent cell spreading are essential for the growth and survival of many cell types. While integrin engagement is known to activate various signalling pathways, the role that cell spreading plays in the control of growth and survival is not clear. Using a novel technique, however, Chen et al. demonstrate that the effect of cell spreading on growth and survival is not a consequence of increased area of contact with the extracellular matrix, supporting the hypothesis that regulation through changes in cell tension and architecture play a key role.