Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado 80045, USA.
Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 2011 Jan 1;3(1):a003228. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a003228.
Cells of the mammary gland are in intimate contact with other cells and with the extracellular matrix (ECM), both of which provide not only a biochemical context, but a mechanical context as well. Cell-mediated contraction allows cells to sense the stiffness of their microenvironment, and respond with appropriate mechanosignaling events that regulate gene expression and differentiation. ECM composition and organization are tightly regulated throughout development of the mammary gland, resulting in corresponding regulation of the mechanical environment and proper tissue architecture. Mechanical regulation is also at play during breast carcinoma progression, as changes in ECM deposition, composition, and organization accompany breast carcinoma. These changes result in stiffer matrices that activate mechanosignaling pathways and thereby induce cell proliferation, facilitate local tumor cell invasion, and promote progression. Thus, understanding the role of forces in the mammary gland is crucial to understanding both normal developmental and pathological processes.
乳腺细胞与其他细胞以及细胞外基质（ECM）密切接触，后者不仅提供了生化环境，还提供了机械环境。细胞介导的收缩使细胞能够感知其微环境的硬度，并通过适当的机械信号事件做出反应，从而调节基因表达和分化。在乳腺发育过程中，ECM 的组成和组织都受到严格的调控，从而使机械环境和组织结构得到相应的调节。在乳腺癌的进展过程中，机械调节也在发挥作用，因为 ECM 的沉积、组成和组织的变化伴随着乳腺癌的发生。这些变化导致基质更加坚硬，激活机械信号通路，从而诱导细胞增殖、促进局部肿瘤细胞浸润，并促进进展。因此，了解力在乳腺中的作用对于理解正常发育和病理过程至关重要。
