Chapter 9 - Mechanical stimuli in lung regeneration

Abstract

Mechanical stimuli play an important role in modulating the response of lung cells, since the organ is mechanically active during respiration. Lung cells are subjected to mechanical stimuli (two-dimensional or three-dimensional microenvironment stiffness, stretching, and shear stress) that modulate the cellular response through their crosstalk with the extracellular matrix of the lung. The response and fate of stem and progenitor cells involved in lung repair and regeneration are particularly affected by such mechanical stimuli. In this chapter, matrix stiffness, cell stretching, and cell shear stress are briefly described along with methods for measuring and applying them in a controlled manner. The application of combined mechanical stimuli to optimize lung regeneration and repair is described for two types of settings: microbioreactors for cell culture and whole lung bioreactors.