Stem cells that are responsible for tissue regeneration in the adult reside in a specialized environment, where extracellular matrix (ECM) composition and mechanical properties, such as stiffness, make an important contribution to the regulation of stem cell self-renewal and differentiation. Cells respond to the stiffness of the surrounding tissue, and subsequently transduce the forces into intracellular biochemical signals in a process called mechanotransduction. The human mammary epithelium, where also breast cancer originates because of acquired genetic alterations, is known to be exposed to variable ECM stiffness during development, reproductive cycles, and malignant transformation. However, the impact of mechanotransduction on primary human mammary epithelial cell (HMEC) fate remains unknown. Our aim is to characterize the mechanobiological features of primary HMEC subpopulations in order to identify new regulatory mechanisms of breast cancer invasion and resistance to therapy.

2019

2024