Mechanical communication and function regulation of immune cells
Yang Chen, Ruipei Xie, Ting Cao, Yiyu Zhang, Xiaochen Wang, Ye Xu, Qihui Fan, Fangfu Ye
Abstract
As the pivotal components of the immune system, immune cells can migrate rapidly and with flexibility to fulfill their critical functions. The cytoskeleton and mechano-sensitive proteins anchored within them play a crucial role in mechano-transduction, facilitating the conversion of mechanical signals into responses within the immune cells when they encounter external stimuli. In recent years, an increasing number of studies have revealed that mechanical signals play important roles in the immune response. This article reviews advanced techniques for analyzing cellular-level mechanical forces and provides insights into the current understanding of mechanical signals in the immune system. It describes how mechano-sensitive proteins collaborate to mediate mechano-transduction and examines the profound impact of mechanical signals on immune cell functions. This review highlights the growing importance of mechano-biology in the immune system and offers a glimpse of exciting future developments in this emerging field.