Tension Anisotropy
Non-muscle cells generate contractile forces and can modulate these forces in response to environmental cues. When activated, these cells upregulate actin and myosin, increasing contractile force, which is crucial for wound closure, cell migration, and tissue repair. However, excessive and prolonged activation can result in pathological conditions such as fibrocontractile diseases (e.g., scarring and fibrosis), vascular diseases, and enhanced cancer metastasis.
Mechanobiology has identified several key mechanical factors influencing cell activation, including matrix stiffness and the magnitude of mechanical stress experienced by cells within the matrix. Recently, we identified a novel mechanical factor: stress anisotropy (Nature Materials, 2025). Unlike isotropic stress, in which mechanical stresses exerted on a cell are equal in all directions, stress anisotropy refers to a condition where stress magnitude is greater in one direction than others. Our findings indicate that stress anisotropy has a more dominant influence on cell activation than other known factors.
Tension anisotropy drives fibroblast phenotypic transition by self-reinforcing cell–extracellular matrix mechanical feedback
F Alisafaei, D Shakiba, Y Hong, G Ramahdita, Y Huang, LE Iannucci, MD Davidson, M Jafari, J Qian, C Qu, D Ju, DR Flory, Y-Y Huang, P Gupta, S Jiang, A Mujahid, S Singamaneni, KM Pryse, P-HG Chao, JA Burdick, SP Lake, EL Elson, N Huebsch, VB Shenoy, GM Genin
Nature Materials, 2025