BIOMATERIALS & MECHANOTRANSDUCTION
Nanoscale Biomaterials for Stem Cell Fate Decision and Focal Adhesion Signaling
MSCs are cultured on advanced nanostructured biomaterials (nanotopography, nanofiber) and the role of focal adhesion signaling (integrin, FAK) in determining MSC lineage commitment to osteogenesis and adipogenesis is investigated.
Mechanical Loading Control of Stem Cell Fate and Cytoskeleton-Nucleoskeleton LINC Mechanosensor
MSCs are exposed to fluid shear and mechanical stretch loading and the role of cytoskeleton and nucleoskeleton linkage sensors, ROCK and LINC (Nesprin-SUN), in load-induced MSC mechano-transcription and resulting commitment and differentiation is investigated.
YAP Mechanotransduction Signaling for Mechano-transcription under Dynamic Mechanical Loading
Under mechanical stretch and fluid shear, the role of Hippo-YAP mechanosignaling in stem cell fate decision, adipocyte metabolic adaptation, and breast cancer cell migration is investigated with associated pathways of ROCK-F-actin and AMOT, FAK focal adhesion, a-catenin cell-cell junction, and Nesprin-SUN cytoskeleton-nucleoskeleton link.
Adipocyte Mechanotransduction to Regulate Insulin Metabolism in Obesity and T2D
Adipocytic precursors and differentiated adipocytes are exposed to physiologically relevant mechanical loading (cyclic vs. static stretching) and its effects on adipokine secretion and autocrine/paracrine insulin signaling cascades are examined to reveal the missing link between obesity and type 2 diabetes.
Breast Cancer Cell Mechanosensing in Mechanically-driven Migration and Metastasis
Metastatic breast cancer cells are treated with flow shear stresses relevant to metastatic target tissues and the role of focal adhesion and cytoskeletal mechanosensors in breast cancer cell migration toward metastatic target cells such as bone, liver, and lung cells is investigated.
Lim Lab Research Gallery
Vinculin focal adhesion Bone mineral staining Nanopit topography Cell on nanoislands
Cell interaction with ECM Fluid flow over cells Silencing FAK by shRNA AFM cell modulus map
hMSC adipogenesis Collagen micropatterning 4-arm interconnected cells Cellular neurogenesis
Cell orientation in 3D gel Cell on nanofibers MSC migration under flow Cardiomyocyte beating
AFM of adipocytes Traction force microscopy YAP nuclear localization p-LATS Hippo signaling
GLUT4 glucose transporter Lipidspot in adipocyte Nesprin1 LINC complex