New Study Reveals That Tissue Flexibility Relies on Watery Fluid Between Cells

Water, a fundamental component of the human body, accounts for approximately 60 percent of its total mass. Remarkably, the majority of this water resides within cells, sustaining the delicate operations essential for life. Yet, an often-overlooked fraction of this vital fluid occupies the interstitial spaces—the minute and intricate gaps existing between cells—much like seawater flowing through grains of sand. Recent breakthroughs from a team of engineers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have illuminated the critical role that this intercellular fluid plays in the mechanical responses of tissues subjected to compression and deformation. Their pioneering research has the potential to reshape our understanding of tissue mechanics, opening avenues to novel perspectives on aging, disease progression, and tissue engineering.

In a study published in the prestigious journal Nature Physics, MIT researchers detail how the fluid nestled between cells significantly influences a tissue’s capacity for deformation and relaxation. Traditionally, scientists have ascribed tissue compliance primarily to intracellular elements—such as the cytoskeleton and organelles—overlooking the contributions arising from extracellular fluids. This new research challenges that dogma by demonstrating that the ease with which intercellular fluid moves profoundly governs how tissues bear mechanical stress. Specifically, when the spaces between cells allow for free fluid flow, tissues exhibit greater compliance and faster relaxation rates following deformation. Conversely, tightly packed cells that limit this fluid movement yield stiffer, more resistant tissues.

This insight carries ramifications across biology and medicine, emphasizing the importance of considering the extracellular fluid environment when analyzing tissue behavior. For instance, adaptations of muscular tissue during exercise or recovery may hinge not merely on the cellular architectures but on how effectively intercellular fluid redistributes under strain. Similarly, pathologies such as cancer, diabetes, and neuromuscular disorders involve tissue deformation and remodeling where this interstitial fluid dynamics might play previously unappreciated roles. Adjusting this fluid flow could influence disease progression or tissue resilience, highlighting a new target for therapeutic intervention.

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The researchers also propose groundbreaking applications in the realm of biomedical engineering, particularly in designing artificial tissues and organs. By optimizing the permeability and flow dynamics of interstitial fluids within engineered tissues, scientists could enhance their functional properties, making artificial implants more durable and physiologically accurate. Additionally, controlled facilitation of fluid movement could become a strategy for targeted drug or nutrient delivery, exploiting the natural pathways between cells to penetrate dense tissue matrices, a concept that may revolutionize treatments for tumors or degenerative conditions.

Ming Guo, associate professor of mechanical engineering at MIT and a co-author of the study, stresses the historical neglect of intercellular fluid flow in biomechanical research. “While it’s recognized that a substantial amount of fluid exists in tissue interstices, its role in tissue deformation has been largely ignored,” Guo remarks. “Our observations now reveal that this fluid movement dominates tissue mechanical behavior during deformation, urging scientists to integrate this understanding into both disease study and tissue engineering efforts.”

Their investigative journey originates from a previous 2020 study focusing on tumor mechanics, where the researchers observed that squeezing tumors enhanced fluid flow from their interior to periphery via intercellular channels. This phenomenon appeared to facilitate tumor invasion by transporting fluids and potentially signaling molecules, fostering more aggressive cancer spread. Building on these findings, the team sought to determine whether similar fluid dynamics play a role in noncancerous tissues, such as those found in healthy organs.

The experimental approach combined biological and mechanical ingenuity. The researchers cultured microtissue clusters composed of tens of thousands of pancreatic tissue-derived cells, each cluster measuring under a quarter-millimeter in diameter. To assess mechanical responses, they engineered a novel testing apparatus combining a high-precision microbalance capable of detecting infinitesimal changes in weight with a step motor designed for nanometer-scale compression control. This setup allowed them to compress tissue clusters meticulously while monitoring their relaxation behavior over time.

As the tissues were gently pressed, videos captured the transformation from a spherical to a flattened “pancake” shape, accompanied by dynamic shifts in weight indicating fluid displacement. The investigative hypothesis proposed that if intercellular fluid movement governs the relaxation response, larger tissue clusters would necessitate longer times for fluid to percolate through and for the tissue to rebound. Conversely, if the mechanical response depended purely on tissue architecture, relaxation times would display size-independence.

Experiments yielded consistent and striking results: relaxation times scaled with tissue size, confirming that fluid flow between cells significantly dictates mechanical behavior. Larger clusters exhibited slower relaxation due to longer pathways for fluid drainage. This pattern held across multiple tissue types, underscoring a universal principle in tissue biomechanics. Fan Liu, the study’s lead author and MIT postdoctoral researcher, emphasizes the broader impact, noting that these findings necessitate a paradigm shift in understanding tissue mechanics and could influence future biomedical device design and therapeutic strategies.

Looking ahead, the research team envisions extending this work to the brain, a complex organ where fluid dynamics critically influence function and pathology. They speculate that facilitating interstitial fluid flow may aid in the clearance of metabolic waste products implicated in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Thus, modulating these microfluidic environments might become a powerful tool for maintaining or restoring brain health.

Guo also highlights the concept of therapeutic mechanical stimulation: “As our study shows, applying targeted pressure to tissues drives fluid flow. We might one day develop non-invasive techniques to ‘massage’ tissues, enhancing nutrient delivery and waste removal within cellular environments.” Such innovations could transform rehabilitation protocols, sports medicine, and chronic disease management.

This research not only advances fundamental biomechanical knowledge but also exemplifies the interdisciplinary synergy of mechanical engineering, cell biology, and materials science. Supported by the MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering, the study underscores the importance of precise measurement tools and conceptual frameworks to unravel complex biological phenomena. As the team continues their investigations, the prospects for integrating intercellular fluid dynamics into clinical practice and bioengineering promise to catalyze transformative health innovations.

In summary, this seminal study unveils the pivotal influence of intercellular fluid flow on tissue poroelasticity, altering the scientific narrative around tissue mechanics. By marrying meticulous experimentation with insightful analysis, MIT engineers have illuminated a previously hidden determinant of tissue behavior under mechanical stress. The implications ripple through biomedical research, clinical strategies, and engineered tissue development, heralding a new era in understanding how the fluid-filled interstices between cells shape life’s fundamental processes.

Subject of Research: Mechanics of tissue deformation and the role of intercellular fluid flow
Article Title: “Intracellular flow dominates the poroelasticity of multicellular tissues”
References: Nature Physics
Image Credits: Courtesy of Ming Guo, Fan Liu, et al
Keywords: Biomechanics, Biophysics, Mechanics, Cell biology, Cellular physiology, Cell behavior, Cell responses, Health and medicine, Tissue engineering, Biomedical engineering, Mechanical engineering

Tags: breakthroughs in biomedical researchcompression and deformation in tissuescytoskeleton and tissue complianceextracellular fluid contributionsimplications for aging and diseaseintercellular fluid dynamicsinterstitial spaces in human biologymechanical responses of tissuesMIT research on tissue mechanicsrole of water in tissue structuretissue engineering advancementstissue flexibility and mechanics