Harnessing the potential of hydrogels for advanced therapeutic applications: current achievements and future directions

The cell mechanotransduction pathways induced by hydrogel stiffness. The matrix stiffness can be sensed by integrins, triggering signal transduction that leads to the specific activation of intracellular pathways including the FAK, Rho GTPase, and Hippo pathways. Mechanical stimuli prompt integrin subunits to activate FAK, triggering a signaling cascade involving Paxillin, SRC kinase, the PI3K/AKT pathway, and the MAPK/ERK pathway. Concurrently, external stress leads to RhoA activation, resulting in actin cytoskeleton contraction. Piezo1, an ion channel, responds to mechanical stimuli by activating Rac1 of the Rho GTPase family. Changes in stiffness also activate the Hippo pathway, centered around a kinase cascade that includes MST1/2 and LATS1/2, impacting downstream effectors such as YAP and TAZ. Information is collected from published work.,,– Adobe Illustrator was used to generate this figure

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Harnessing the potential of hydrogels for advanced therapeutic applications: current achievements and future directions. (2024) Peilin Lu, et al. Signal Transduct Target Ther. 2024;9:166. Figure: F5. Homo sapiens

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