Mechanical Forces in the Cell

Dear Colleagues,

Animal and plant cells perform a complex sequence of actions to carry out life processes and maintain homeostasis in living organisms. For many years, researchers focused on identifying molecular and chemical players that mediate cell response to internal and external signals. However, evidence has recently emerged suggesting that physical factors play a dramatic role in cellular functions. For example, leukocytes sense the mechanical environment in which they live and modify their phenotype and immune activity as a response. Plant development, as another example, is the result of expansive growth, division, and differentiation of cells, all involving mechanical aspects. In addition, the ability of cells to crawl on substrates and move in porous matrices depends on the non-linear rheological properties of cellular assemblies. The rich amount of experimental data has promoted numerous attempts to generate theoretical models to test biological hypotheses and mechanisms. In this Special Issue, we will cover the most recent advances in cellular biomechanics, including both experimental and theoretical work.

Dr. Pietro Mascheroni
Dr. Haralambos Hatzikirou
Guest Editors

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