Nuclear force feedback as rheostat for actomyosin tension control

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Ageing manifests itself on multiple levels in the body. Many cell types, such as blood vessel and adjacent cells are subject to constant mechanical challenges due to blood flow and constriction. In cells, ageing and pre-mature ageing syndroms such as Progeria cause several changes that make them more prone to damage when they are put under strain. In this project we are going to investigate how cells regulate their responds to strain and why this does not work in aged cells. We have found that the cytoskeleton, the scaffold that keeps cells in shape and motile, is under more tension that experience symptoms of ageing. This leads to decreased ability to respond to varying outside forces that are applied onto the cells and often causes cell death. In this application we will investigate the cause of this reduced adaptability to force. This will help in understanding the changes that ageing causes in cells and potentially will give rise to new avenues of research into developing treatments for these symptoms.