The Parekh Laboratory is focused on mechanobiology research in cancer and wound healing. Proper cell and extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions are responsible for maintaining functional homeostasis in tissues and organs. Alterations in this reciprocal relationship following disease or injury are guided by changes in the local ECM mechanical environment as well as signaling molecules and interactions with other cell types. These changes drive the ensuing disease state and tissue repair response by altering cellular phenotypes resulting in outcomes such as cancer cell invasion and pathological remodeling of healing wounds, respectively. In order to modulate these mechanobiological responses, a fundamental understanding of the biochemical and biophysical factors that influence these processes are required. These factors dictate cellular phenotypes and thus determine the manner in which cells further interact with their ECM microenvironment. Clinical modalities can be developed by identifying therapeutic targets that drive these pathological responses toward a more favorable outcome by interfering with these cell/ECM interactions. Therefore, our general research goal is to understand how mechanical forces drive pathologic cellular phenotypes in cancer and wound healing by utilizing biochemical and biomechanical approaches that include in vitro, ex vivo, in vivo, and in silico techniques and/or models.
