Mechanotransduction in Endothelial Cells: Role of Laser and Electro-Optics in Mechanobiology

Summary form only given. Mechanotransduction in vascular endothelial cells (ECs) varies with the directions of the shear stress or mechanical strain and plays a significant role in the modulation of cellular functions in health and disease. Most studies on these signaling processes have been conducted by using biochemical or molecular procedures to examine a large number of cells subjected to controlled experimental conditions and then made into a lysate composed of all the cells studied. With the increasing recognition of the spatial and temporal variations in the mechanotransduction processes, however, it is necessary to have technologies that would enable investigations on single cells and subcellular components in 4D, i.e., in 3D space and with time-dependent dynamics. There are a large number of possibilities to apply laser and electro-optics to elucidate molecular and cellular processes in health and disease