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Cell Stretching System Applications for Biomedical Research

In the world of cell biology research, there are a number of different techniques used to study the physiology and mechanics of cells. Strex Inc., a Japan-based scientific research company, develops and manufactures world-class systems that have given researchers the ability to study cells using a very specific method – cell stretching.

Strex’s cell stretching systems are used by labs worldwide to study cellular functions in a variety of cell types. The principle applied by these systems is that mechanical forces are involved in almost all of the biological processes that occur within nature. Living cells are constantly stretched and compressed as part of their everyday functioning and survival. Cell types of the skin, bone, lung, muscle, heart, and stem cells all undergo cyclic stretching as part of their natural functioning mechanisms. Many cellular functions underlying tissue morphogenesis – including growth processes such as differentiation,proliferation and migration, development, require mechanical forces in order to develop properly. As cells are constantly exposed to mechanical forces, a process known as cyclic stretching, cell stretching systems can manipulate the natural physiological process in order to study cellular functions under mechanical stress.

On the subcellular level, mechanoreceptors are activated by cell-stretching systems, which detect mechanical stimuli within a cell’s environment. The result of mechanoreceptor stimulation is the activation of certain cell-specific pathways that can alter properties such as cellular adhesion, locomotion, morphology, cellular proliferation and associated activation of different genes and proteins. Manipulation of mechanoreceptors opens up a number of different applications that can be studied by cell-stretching systems in a range of different cell types. Cardiomyocytes, endothelial cells, osteocytes and smooth muscle cells are just some examples of cells that can be studied using systems from Strex. As well as this, intercellular processes such as gene or protein expression, cytoskeleton rearrangements, signal transduction and cell morphology can be studied using cell-stretching systems.

By using technology that stretches cell cultures in vitro, researchers can mimic the cells natural environment and then observe the response to mechanical stress in order to better understand the cells and the mechanoreceptor roles in cellular function. Further experiments can then be done to research cellular functions such as cell adhesion, locomotion, proliferation, morphology, synthetic profile.

Applications of Cell Stretching Systems:

Below are some examples of applications resulting from the use of Strex technology.

  1. Cell mechanics in bone tissue
  2. Gene expression studies
  3. Mechanotransduction studies
  4. Stem-cell research
  5. Cell mechanics in cardiomyocytes

Green Leaf Scientific supplies a range of specialty neuroscience research products for both in vivo and in vitro studies. We have a range of suppliers such as Strex Inc.Diagnostic Biochips Inc.Pinnacle Technology Inc. and more!

Interested in learning about the publications and results using Strex’s cell-stretching systemsClick here to download the infographic highlighting the key results and conclusions.

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