BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Neurons feel the force ‐ Mechanosensitivity in the nervous syste
 m - Dr Kristian Franze\, Dept of Physics &amp\; Dept of Physiology\, Devel
 opment and Neuroscience\, Univ. of Cambridge
DTSTART:20110120T160000Z
DTEND:20110120T170000Z
UID:TALK29193@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Christian Scheppach
DESCRIPTION:While our understanding of biochemical cell signaling is incre
 asing rapidly\, the current knowledge about cellular responses to physical
  stimuli is very limited.  Local changes in the mechanical properties of a
  cell’s environment\, for example\, may provide crucial stimuli particul
 arly during growth and migration.  Here we present high-resolution data on
  the mechanical properties of nerve tissue and cells and show how both neu
 rons and glial cells detect and respond to the stiffness of their substrat
 e.  Morphology\, growth rate\, and fasciculation of outgrowing retinal gan
 glion cell axons significantly depended on the mechanical properties of th
 eir substrate.  On softer substrates\, retinal ganglion cell axons fascicu
 lated more and preferentially grew in a common direction\, similar as in v
 ivo\, where these axons build the optic nerve.  Glial cells assumed an act
 ivated phenotype and spread more on stiffer substrates.  We used traction 
 force microscopy and scanning force microscopy in combination with calcium
  imaging to suggest a possible model for mechanosensing of neurons.  Using
  culture substrates incorporating gradients of mechanical properties we fo
 und that CNS cells can even be guided by mechanical stimuli.  While neuron
 al axons were repelled by stiff substrates\, activated glial cells were at
 tracted towards them.  Thus\, cellular mechanosensitivity could not only b
 e involved in developmental processes in the CNS such as neuronal guidance
 \, but also in pathological processes such as foreign body reactions to st
 iff neural implants.  The mechanical mismatch between implant and tissue c
 ould cause the repulsion of neurons and at the same time the attraction of
  glial cells\, thus leading to the implant’s encapsulation by reactive g
 lial cells.  Exploiting this knowledge may ultimately lead to the developm
 ent of a new generation of neural implants\, incorporating appropriate mec
 hanical cues which support healthy tissue structure.
LOCATION:Hodgkin Huxley Seminar Room\, Physiology Building\, Downing Site
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR