Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37027304›Full record

ArticleCell reports2023

Reciprocal intra- and extra-cellular polarity enables deep mechanosensing through layered matrices.

Christopher Walter, Jairaj Mathur, Amit Pathak

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cell reports, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Emergent depth-mechanosensing of epithelial collectives regulates cell clustering and dispersal on layered matrices.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Christopher WalterDepartment of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Jairaj MathurDepartment of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Amit PathakDepartment of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA. Electronic address: pathaka@wustl.edu.

Funding

Epithelial Cell Mechanobiology in Mechanically Heterogeneous MicroenvironmentsR35GM128764 · NIGMS · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI PATHAK, AMIT · 2018 to 2022
$2.2M
NIGMS NIH HHS R35 GM128764
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Adherent cells migrate on layered tissue interfaces to drive morphogenesis, wound healing, and tumor invasion. Although stiffer surfaces are known to enhance cell migration, it remains unclear whether cells sense basal stiff environments buried under softer, fibrous matrix. Using layered collagen-polyacrylamide gel systems, we unveil a migration phenotype driven by cell-matrix polarity. Here, cancer (but not normal) cells with stiff base matrix generate stable protrusions, faster migration, and greater collagen deformation because of "depth mechanosensing" through the top collagen layer. Cancer cell protrusions with front-rear polarity produce polarized collagen stiffening and deformations. Disruption of either extracellular or intracellular polarity via collagen crosslinking, laser ablation, or Arp2/3 inhibition independently abrogates depth-mechanosensitive migration of cancer cells. Our experimental findings, validated by lattice-based energy minimization modeling, present a cell migration mechanism whereby polarized cellular protrusions and contractility are reciprocated by mechanical extracellular polarity, culminating in a cell-type-dependent ability to mechanosense through matrix layers.

Indexed as

Cell Surface ExtensionsCollagenCell MovementExtracellular MatrixMorphogenesisCollagenatomic force microscopycell migrationcell polaritycollagenCP: Cell biologydepth sensingextracellular matrix polaritylaser ablationlayered matrixmechanobiologymechanosensing

Identifiers

PMID37027304
PMCPMC11246724

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.