Mechanotransduction in the Lung
The term mechanotransduction describes chemical activity of living cells in response to mechanical loading. Together with our cooperation partners Prof. Uhlig and Prof. Guttmann we established a novel experimental technique for mechanostimulation of cultivated biological tissues. With this so-called bioreactor, we are able to study the pathophysiological effects of well-defined mechanical stretches in living lung tissue, e.g. by following critical signaling responses such as calcium fluxes or the expression of amphiregulin. These processes are known to play an important role in ventilator-associated lung injuries.