Engineering global and local signal generators for probing temporal and spatial cellular signaling dynamics

Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology

Bioengineering and Biotechnology

Jurjen Tel¹  Haowen Yang¹ 

[1] Laboratory of Immunoengineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands;Institute for Complex Molecular Systems, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, Netherlands;

关键词: signal generator;    microfluidics;    signaling dynamics;    single cells;    cellular communication;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fbioe.2023.1239026

 received in 2023-06-12, accepted in 2023-08-16,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Cells constantly encounter a wide range of environmental signals and rely on their signaling pathways to initiate reliable responses. Understanding the underlying signaling mechanisms and cellular behaviors requires signal generators capable of providing diverse input signals to deliver to cell systems. Current research efforts are primarily focused on exploring cellular responses to global or local signals, which enable us to understand cellular signaling and behavior in distinct dimensions. This review presents recent advancements in global and local signal generators, highlighting their applications in studying temporal and spatial signaling activity. Global signals can be generated using microfluidic or photochemical approaches. Local signal sources can be created using living or artificial cells in combination with different control methods. We also address the strengths and limitations of each signal generator type, discussing challenges and potential extensions for future research. These approaches are expected to continue to facilitate on-going research to discover novel and intriguing cellular signaling mechanisms.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Yang and Tel.