The 'airbag' that protects cells against stress

Scientists at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Cardiovasculares (CNIC) have identified the molecular mechanisms that allow cells to survive mechanical stress. The results, published today in Nature Communications, show that cells produce molecules that act as a type of "airbag" in response to mechanical stress. Without this protective and adaptive system, the heart, which is subject to continuous mechanical forces,"would be unable to correctly perform its blood-pumping role," explained lead author Miguel Ángel del Pozo. First author Asier Echarri added that the findings "show the importance of identifying the molecular mechanisms that protect cells against mechanical stress."

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