Influence of mechanical force application on human mesenchymal stem cell differentiation

一种叫做间充质干细胞的细胞存在于人类骨髓中。这些特殊的细胞有能力生长成许多不同类型的其他细胞，如骨细胞、软骨细胞和肌肉细胞。为了做到这一点，这些细胞需要特定类型的刺激。其中一种刺激是机械力。关于机械力如何影响间充质干细胞，我们所知甚少。该项目旨在详细分析三种不同类型的机械力在十分钟到两周的时间内对这些细胞的影响。不同类型的机械力（如液体流过细胞或通过在塑料膜上生长拉伸细胞，然后拉动膜）会导致细胞对环境做出不同的反应和适应。该项目将确定这些细胞对每种类型和长度的力的反应，并最终确定它将在力的作用下长成哪种类型的细胞。

A type of cell called a mesenchymal stem cell exists in human bone marrow. These special cells have the capability to grow into many different types of other cells such as bone cells, cartilage cells and muscle cells. In order to do this, these cells need certain types of stimuli. One of these types of stimuli is mechanical force. Very little is known about how mechanical forces affect mesenchymal stem cells. This project aims to analyse in detail, the effects of three different types of mechanical force on these cells over time periods of ten minutes to two weeks. Different types of mechanical forces (such as fluid flowing over a cell or stretching a cell by growing it on a plastic membrane and then pulling the membrane) causes the cell to react and adapt differently to their environment. This project will identify how these cells react to each type and length of force application and ultimately what type of cell it will then be destined to grow into as a result of the force.