The Role of Connections Between Cellular and Tissue Mechanical Elements and the Importance of Applied Energy in Mechanotransduction in Cancerous Tissue

In the presence of cellular mutations and impaired mechanisms of energy transmission to the attached cells and tissues, excess energy is available to upregulate some of the mechanotransduction pathways that maintain cell and tissue structure and function. The ability to transfer applied energy throu...

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Main Author: Frederick H. Silver
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-03-01
Series:Biomolecules
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/15/4/457
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author Frederick H. Silver
author_facet Frederick H. Silver
author_sort Frederick H. Silver
collection DOAJ
description In the presence of cellular mutations and impaired mechanisms of energy transmission to the attached cells and tissues, excess energy is available to upregulate some of the mechanotransduction pathways that maintain cell and tissue structure and function. The ability to transfer applied energy through integrin-mediated pathways, cell ion channels, cell membrane, cytoskeleton–nucleoskeleton connections, cell junctions, and cell–extracellular matrix attachments provides an equilibrium for energy storage, transmission, and dissipation in tissues. Disruption in energy storage, transmission, or dissipation via genetic mutations blocks mechanical communication between cells and tissues and impairs the mechanical energy equilibrium that exists between cells and tissues. This results in local structural changes through altered regulatory pathways, which produce cell clustering, collagen encapsulation, and an epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), leading to increased cellular motility along newly reorganized collagen fibers (fibrosis). The goal of this review is to postulate how changes in energy transfer between cells and the extracellular matrix may alter local energy equilibrium and mechanotransduction pathways. The changes along with cellular mutations lead to cell and ECM changes reported in cancer, which is postulated to modify mechanical equilibria between cells and their ECM. This leads to uncontrolled cancer cellular proliferation and collagen remodeling.
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spelling doaj-art-5b5b5dd30a2a40599acb4bd33ab5e9a82025-08-20T03:14:15ZengMDPI AGBiomolecules2218-273X2025-03-0115445710.3390/biom15040457The Role of Connections Between Cellular and Tissue Mechanical Elements and the Importance of Applied Energy in Mechanotransduction in Cancerous TissueFrederick H. Silver0Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08854, USAIn the presence of cellular mutations and impaired mechanisms of energy transmission to the attached cells and tissues, excess energy is available to upregulate some of the mechanotransduction pathways that maintain cell and tissue structure and function. The ability to transfer applied energy through integrin-mediated pathways, cell ion channels, cell membrane, cytoskeleton–nucleoskeleton connections, cell junctions, and cell–extracellular matrix attachments provides an equilibrium for energy storage, transmission, and dissipation in tissues. Disruption in energy storage, transmission, or dissipation via genetic mutations blocks mechanical communication between cells and tissues and impairs the mechanical energy equilibrium that exists between cells and tissues. This results in local structural changes through altered regulatory pathways, which produce cell clustering, collagen encapsulation, and an epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), leading to increased cellular motility along newly reorganized collagen fibers (fibrosis). The goal of this review is to postulate how changes in energy transfer between cells and the extracellular matrix may alter local energy equilibrium and mechanotransduction pathways. The changes along with cellular mutations lead to cell and ECM changes reported in cancer, which is postulated to modify mechanical equilibria between cells and their ECM. This leads to uncontrolled cancer cellular proliferation and collagen remodeling.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/15/4/457collagenepithelial cellscancer-associated fibroblastsfibroblastsmacrophagesmyofibroblasts
spellingShingle Frederick H. Silver
The Role of Connections Between Cellular and Tissue Mechanical Elements and the Importance of Applied Energy in Mechanotransduction in Cancerous Tissue
Biomolecules
collagen
epithelial cells
cancer-associated fibroblasts
fibroblasts
macrophages
myofibroblasts
title The Role of Connections Between Cellular and Tissue Mechanical Elements and the Importance of Applied Energy in Mechanotransduction in Cancerous Tissue
title_full The Role of Connections Between Cellular and Tissue Mechanical Elements and the Importance of Applied Energy in Mechanotransduction in Cancerous Tissue
title_fullStr The Role of Connections Between Cellular and Tissue Mechanical Elements and the Importance of Applied Energy in Mechanotransduction in Cancerous Tissue
title_full_unstemmed The Role of Connections Between Cellular and Tissue Mechanical Elements and the Importance of Applied Energy in Mechanotransduction in Cancerous Tissue
title_short The Role of Connections Between Cellular and Tissue Mechanical Elements and the Importance of Applied Energy in Mechanotransduction in Cancerous Tissue
title_sort role of connections between cellular and tissue mechanical elements and the importance of applied energy in mechanotransduction in cancerous tissue
topic collagen
epithelial cells
cancer-associated fibroblasts
fibroblasts
macrophages
myofibroblasts
url https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/15/4/457
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