Dynamics of Stretch-Induced Stress Fiber Remodeling in 3D Cell Culture

The responses of living cells to mechanical stimuli are believed to underlie diseases such as fibrotic cardiomyopathy [1] and asthma [2]. Emerging evidence suggests that mechanical signals transduced through the actin cytoskeleton and its connections to the extracellular matrix (ECM) have important effects on cell physiology and tissue development [13]. Understanding the responses of cells in realistic mechanical environments to mechanical stimuli is therefore of great importance to understanding development and disease.