Sara Salehyar^{1, †}, Nickolas Forsch^1,†,*, Kathleen Gilbert^2,3, Alistair A. Young^3,4, James C. Perry⁵, Sanjeet Hegde⁵, Jeffrey H. Omens^1,6, Andrew D. McCulloch^1,6

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.16, No.3, pp. 179-183, 2019, DOI:10.32604/mcb.2019.07384

Abstract Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is the most common form of cyanotic congenital heart disease. Infants diagnosed with TOF require surgical interventions to survive into adulthood. However, as a result of postoperative structural malformations and long-term ventricular remodeling, further interventions are often required later in life. To help identify those at risk of disease progression, serial cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging is used to monitor these patients. However, most of the detailed information on cardiac shape and biomechanics contained in these large four-dimensional (4D) data sets goes unused in clinical practice for lack of efficient and… More >

Shu Chien^*

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.16, No.3, pp. 163-178, 2019, DOI:10.32604/mcb.2019.07689

Abstract Professor Y.C. Fung has made tremendous impacts on science, engineering and humanity through his research and its applications, by setting the highest standards, through educating many students and their students, and providing his exemplary leadership. He has applied his profound knowledge and elegant analytical methods to the study of biomedical problems with rigor and excellence. He established the foundations of biomechanics in living tissues and organs. Through his vision of the power of “making models” to explain and predict biological phenomena, Dr. Fung opened up new vista for bioengineering, from organs-systems to molecules-genes, and has More >

Shu Q. Liu^*

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.16, No.2, pp. 75-85, 2019, DOI:10.32604/mcb.2019.06920

Abstract Ischemic stroke, although causing brain infarction and neurological deficits, can activate innate neuroprotective mechanisms, including regional mechanisms within the ischemic brain and distant mechanisms from non-ischemic organs such as the liver, spleen, and pancreas, supporting neuronal survival, confining brain infarction, and alleviating neurological deficits. Both regional and distant mechanisms are defined as systems neuroprotective mechanisms. The regional neuroprotective mechanisms involve release and activation of neuroprotective factors such as adenosine and bradykinin, inflammatory responses, expression of growth factors such as nerve growth factors and neurotrophins, and activation and differentiation of resident neural stem cells to neurons… More >

Petit Claudie¹, Guignandon Alain², Avril Stéphane^1,*

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.16, No.2, pp. 87-108, 2019, DOI:10.32604/mcb.2019.06415

Abstract The contractile behavior of smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in the aorta is an important determinant of growth, remodeling, and homeostasis. However, quantitative values of SMC basal tone have never been characterized precisely on individual SMCs. Therefore, to address this lack, we developed an in vitro technique based on Traction Force Microscopy (TFM). Aortic SMCs from a human lineage at low passages (4-7) were cultured 2 days in conditions promoting the development of their contractile apparatus and seeded on hydrogels of varying elastic modulus (1, 4, 12 and 25 kPa) with embedded fluorescent microspheres. After complete… More >

Moharam Habibnejad Korayem^1,*, Zahra Rastegar²

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.16, No.2, pp. 109-122, 2019, DOI:10.32604/mcb.2019.04706

Abstract The mechanical properties of single cells have been recently identified as the basis of an emerging approach in medical applications since they are closely related to the biological processes of cells and human health conditions. The problem in hand is how to measure mechanical properties in order to obtain them more accurately and applicably. Some of the cell’s properties such as elasticity module and adhesion have been measured before using various methods; nevertheless, comprehensive tests for two healthy and cancerous cells have not been performed simultaneously. As a Nanoscale device, AFM has been used for… More >

Mingzhi Luo¹, Kai Ni¹, Peili Yu¹, Yang Jin², Lei Liu¹, Jingjing Li¹, Yan Pan¹, Linhong Deng^1,*

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.16, No.2, pp. 141-151, 2019, DOI:10.32604/mcb.2019.06756

Abstract Airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) is the cardinal character of asthma, which involves the biomechanical properties such as cell stiffness and traction force of airway smooth muscle cells (ASMCs). Therefore, these biomechanical properties comprise logical targets of therapy. β2-adrenergic agonist is currently the mainstream drug to target ASMCs in clinical practice for treating asthma. However, this drug is known for side effects such as desensitization and non-responsiveness in some patients. Therefore, it is desirable to search for new drug agents to be alternative of β2-adrenergic agonist. In this context, sanguinarine, a natural product derived from plants such… More >

Caining Zhang¹, Huaguang Li², Xiaoya Guo³, David Molony⁴, Xiaopeng Guo², Habib Samady⁴, Don P. Giddens^4,5, Lambros Athanasiou⁶, Rencan Nie^2,*, Jinde Cao^3,*, Dalin Tang^1,*,7

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.16, No.2, pp. 153-161, 2019, DOI:10.32604/mcb.2019.06873

Abstract Cardiovascular diseases are closely associated with deteriorating atherosclerotic plaques. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a recently developed intravascular imaging technique with high resolution approximately 10 microns and could provide accurate quantification of coronary plaque morphology. However, tissue segmentation of OCT images in clinic is still mainly performed manually by physicians which is time consuming and subjective. To overcome these limitations, two automatic segmentation methods for intracoronary OCT image based on support vector machine (SVM) and convolutional neural network (CNN) were performed to identify the plaque region and characterize plaque components. In vivo IVUS and OCT coronary… More >

Shaoxiong Yang¹, Yingxin Qi², Zonglai Jiang², Xiaobo Gong^1,*

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 13-26, 2019, DOI:10.32604/mcb.2019.06096

Abstract Vascular diseases during aging process are closely correlated to the age-related changes of mechanical stimuli for resident cells. Characterizing the variations of mechanical environments in vessel walls with advancing age is crucial for a better understanding of vascular remodeling and pathological changes. In this study, the mechanical stress, strain, and wall stiffness of the femoropopliteal arteries (FPAs) were compared among four different age groups from adolescent to young, middle-aged, and aged subjects. The material parameters and geometries adopted in the FPA models were obtained from published experimental results. It is found that high mechanical stress More >

Megumi Baba¹, Aya Shinmura¹, Shigeru Tada¹, Taku Amo², Akira Tsukamoto^1,*

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 1-12, 2019, DOI:10.32604/mcb.2019.05199

Abstract Mitochondria in endothelial cells remodel morphologically when supraphysiological cyclic stretch is exerted on the cells. During remodeling, mitochondria become shorter, but how they do so remains elusive. Drp1 is a regulator of mitochondrial morphologies. It shortens mitochondria by shifting the balance from mitochondrial fusion to fission. In this study, we hypothesized that Drp1 activation is involved in mitochondrial remodeling under supraphysiological cyclic stretch. To verify the involvement of Drp1, its activation was first quantified with Western blotting, but Drp1 was not significantly activated in endothelial cells under supraphysiological cyclic stretch. Next, Drp1 activation was inhibited… More >

Wenjia Wang^{1, 2}, Xiuqing Qian^{1, 2}, Qi Li^{1, 2}, Gong Zhang^{1, 2}, Huangxuan Zhao^{1, 2}, Tan Li^{1, 2}, Yang Yu^{1, 2}, Hongfang Song^{1, 2, *}, Zhicheng Liu^{1, 2, *}

Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 59-74, 2019, DOI:10.32604/mcb.2019.06393

Abstract Pupillary block is considered as an important cause of primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG). In order to investigate the effect of pupillary block on the hydrodynamics of aqueous humor (AH) in anterior chamber (AC) and potential risks, a 3D printed eye model was developed to mimic the AH flow driven by fluid generation, the differential pressure between AC and posterior chambers (PC) and pupillary block. Particle image velocimetry technology was applied to visualize flow distribution. The results demonstrated obvious differences in AH flow with and without pupillary block. Under the normal condition (without pupillary block), the… More >