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Extracellular Mechanotransduction In Marfan Syndrome: An Equivalence Principle, Stephen Haller

Theses & Dissertations

Biological tissues continuously experience mechanical stress and have evolved sophisticated mechanisms to sense mechanical stimuli. While traditional viewpoints regard cells as the ultimate sensors and processors of mechanical information, compounding evidence demonstrates that extracellular matrix, the structural component of tissues, also exhibits evolved molecular responses to force. This led us to propose a new paradigm termed extracellular mechanotransduction, in which matrix orchestrates a complementary form of force integration distinct from traditional cellular and extracellular viewpoints. We thus propose that force-sensitive signaling mechanisms evolved within the extracellular space to help cells maintain mechanical homeostasis in tissues. In this dissertation, we apply …