Mechanotransduction in disease

Mechanotransduction is the process by which physical stimuli or a sense of a cell's physical external environment is converted into an electrical or biochemical internal representation, leading to changes in gene expression or other internal cell physiology. Mechanotransduction relies upon entities within the membrane of a cell in possession of structural properties which enable conversion of change in external Newtonian forces into electrochemical intracellular activity. Such processes, initially described within dedicated sense organs, have become a field of extensive study, leading to the identification of a diverse array of molecular pathways, operating within many different cells and tissues throughout the bodies of living organisms. In turn, as understanding of the mechanisms of mechanotransduction has advanced, such processes have been described in models of an array of different physiological and pathophysiological processes. This has led to ongoing interest in the potential for these processes to become means of delivering novel therapeutic interventions.