Mechanotransduction as a therapeutic target for brain tumours
Summary: Despite decades of research, treatment options for many paediatric and adult brain tumours remain inadequate. Mechanotransduction, a process by which cells convert mechanical cues into biochemical signals, resulting in the activation of signalling cascades, is crucial in the progression of...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-07-01
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| Series: | EBioMedicine |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235239642500252X |
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| author | Lauren Gomes Carlos Pardo-Pastor Jody Rosenblatt Antonios N. Pouliopoulos |
| author_facet | Lauren Gomes Carlos Pardo-Pastor Jody Rosenblatt Antonios N. Pouliopoulos |
| author_sort | Lauren Gomes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary: Despite decades of research, treatment options for many paediatric and adult brain tumours remain inadequate. Mechanotransduction, a process by which cells convert mechanical cues into biochemical signals, resulting in the activation of signalling cascades, is crucial in the progression of aggressive brain tumours such as glioblastoma (GBM). In GBM, a stiffened extracellular matrix accompanies the aberrant expression of mechanosensitive ion channels, including Piezo and transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, impacting brain tumour progression and therapeutic response. Thus, targeting these ion channels and associated signalling pathways may provide effective adjuvant therapy. Focused ultrasound (FUS) is an emerging technology being explored in diagnostic and therapeutic applications within oncology and has the potential to non-invasively modulate mechanosensitive pathways. Here, we discuss recent findings, highlighting how mechanobiology is altered in brain tumours, the potential of mechanosensitive ion channels as therapeutic targets and perspectives on using FUS to exploit aberrant brain tumour mechanobiology to provide non-invasive adjuvant therapy. At the intersection of cancer cell biology and biomedical engineering, this review offers a perspective on leveraging mechanotransduction for therapeutic advances in brain tumours. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-03cc6d7ffdb548968961e259bf529002 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2352-3964 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | EBioMedicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-03cc6d7ffdb548968961e259bf5290022025-08-20T03:21:28ZengElsevierEBioMedicine2352-39642025-07-0111710580810.1016/j.ebiom.2025.105808Mechanotransduction as a therapeutic target for brain tumoursLauren Gomes0Carlos Pardo-Pastor1Jody Rosenblatt2Antonios N. Pouliopoulos3School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United KingdomRandall Centre for Cell & Molecular Biophysics, School of Basic & Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; The Francis Crick Institute, London, United KingdomRandall Centre for Cell & Molecular Biophysics, School of Basic & Medical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; The Francis Crick Institute, London, United KingdomSchool of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences, King's College London, London, United Kingdom; Corresponding author.Summary: Despite decades of research, treatment options for many paediatric and adult brain tumours remain inadequate. Mechanotransduction, a process by which cells convert mechanical cues into biochemical signals, resulting in the activation of signalling cascades, is crucial in the progression of aggressive brain tumours such as glioblastoma (GBM). In GBM, a stiffened extracellular matrix accompanies the aberrant expression of mechanosensitive ion channels, including Piezo and transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, impacting brain tumour progression and therapeutic response. Thus, targeting these ion channels and associated signalling pathways may provide effective adjuvant therapy. Focused ultrasound (FUS) is an emerging technology being explored in diagnostic and therapeutic applications within oncology and has the potential to non-invasively modulate mechanosensitive pathways. Here, we discuss recent findings, highlighting how mechanobiology is altered in brain tumours, the potential of mechanosensitive ion channels as therapeutic targets and perspectives on using FUS to exploit aberrant brain tumour mechanobiology to provide non-invasive adjuvant therapy. At the intersection of cancer cell biology and biomedical engineering, this review offers a perspective on leveraging mechanotransduction for therapeutic advances in brain tumours.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235239642500252XMechanotransductionBrain tumoursMechanosensitive ion channelsPiezoFocused ultrasound |
| spellingShingle | Lauren Gomes Carlos Pardo-Pastor Jody Rosenblatt Antonios N. Pouliopoulos Mechanotransduction as a therapeutic target for brain tumours EBioMedicine Mechanotransduction Brain tumours Mechanosensitive ion channels Piezo Focused ultrasound |
| title | Mechanotransduction as a therapeutic target for brain tumours |
| title_full | Mechanotransduction as a therapeutic target for brain tumours |
| title_fullStr | Mechanotransduction as a therapeutic target for brain tumours |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mechanotransduction as a therapeutic target for brain tumours |
| title_short | Mechanotransduction as a therapeutic target for brain tumours |
| title_sort | mechanotransduction as a therapeutic target for brain tumours |
| topic | Mechanotransduction Brain tumours Mechanosensitive ion channels Piezo Focused ultrasound |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S235239642500252X |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT laurengomes mechanotransductionasatherapeutictargetforbraintumours AT carlospardopastor mechanotransductionasatherapeutictargetforbraintumours AT jodyrosenblatt mechanotransductionasatherapeutictargetforbraintumours AT antoniosnpouliopoulos mechanotransductionasatherapeutictargetforbraintumours |