Immunomechanobiology: Engineering the Activation and Function of Immune Cells with the Mechanical Signal of Fluid Shear Stress.

Immunomechanobiology, the study of how physical forces influence the behavior and function of immune cells, is a rapidly growing area of research. It is becoming increasingly recognized that mechanical stimuli, such as fluid shear forces, are a critical determinant of immune cell regulation. In this review, we discuss the principles and significance of various mechanical forces present within the human body, with a focus on fluid shear flow and its impact on immune cell activation and function.

Enhanced and sustained T cell activation in response to fluid shear stress.

The efficacy of T cell therapies in treating solid tumors is limited by poor persistence, proliferation, and cytotoxicity, which can be attributed to limited and variable activation. Herein, we present a 10-day kinetic profile of T cells subjected to fluid shear stress (FSS) , with and without stimulation utilizing bead-conjugated anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies. We demonstrate that mechanical stimulation via FSS combined with bead-bound anti-CD3/CD28 antibodies yields a synergistic effect, resulting in amplified and sustained downstream signaling (NF-κB, c-Fos, and NFAT), expression of activation markers (CD69 and CD25), proliferation and production of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL-2).

Spectroscopic investigation of radiation-induced reoxygenation in radiation-resistant tumors.

Fractionated radiation therapy is believed to reoxygenate and subsequently radiosensitize surviving hypoxic cancer cells. Measuring tumor reoxygenation between radiation fractions could conceivably provide an early biomarker of treatment response. However, the relationship between tumor reoxygenation and local control is not well understood.

Ethnicity and end-of-life care: the use of feeding tubes.

Background: Blacks utilize many health care services at lower rates than do Whites. However, in end-of-life care, the situation is frequently reversed, with Blacks using life-sustaining interventions at higher rates than do Whites. We investigated the use of feeding tubes in very severely cognitively impaired nursing-home residents, and examined the findings in light of previous studies on the role of ethnicity in end-of-life decision making.