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On Valve Interstitial Cell Signaling: The Link Between Multiscale Mechanics and Mechanobiology

  • John Tarbell
  • Published:
Cardiovascular Engineering and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Heart valves function in one of the most mechanically demanding environments in the body to ensure unidirectional blood flow. The resident valve interstitial cells respond to this mechanical environment and maintain the structure and integrity of the heart valve tissues to preserve homeostasis. While the mechanics of organ-tissue-cell heart valve function has progressed, the intracellular signaling network downstream of mechanical stimuli has not been fully elucidated. This has hindered efforts to both understand heart valve mechanobiology and rationally identify drug targets for treating valve disease. In the present work, we review the current literature on VIC mechanobiology and then propose mechanistic mathematical modeling of the mechanically-stimulated VIC signaling response to comprehend the coupling between VIC mechanobiology and valve mechanics.

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Funding

This study supported by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (R01 HL14250, R01 HL073021), American Heart Association (18POST33990101).

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  1. James T. Willerson Center for Cardiovascular Modeling and Simulation, The Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences and the Department of Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Daniel P. Howsmon & Michael S. Sacks

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  1. Daniel P. Howsmon
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Correspondence to Michael S. Sacks.

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Conflicts of interest

MSS has received research Grants R01 HL14250 and R01 HL073021 from the National Health Lung and Blood Institute. DPH has received postdoctoral fellowship 18POST33990101 from the American Heart Association.

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Howsmon, D.P., Sacks, M.S. On Valve Interstitial Cell Signaling: The Link Between Multiscale Mechanics and Mechanobiology. Cardiovasc Eng Tech 12, 15–27 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13239-020-00509-4

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