In nature, all biological materials, from the cellular to the tissue level, are constantly exposed to mechanical stress and strain. These mechanical cues arise from both the active behaviour of biological materials and the properties of the surrounding substrate. Mechanics play a crucial role in various biological processes, influencing outcomes such as tissue healing or cancer progression, among others. Consequently, research aimed at understanding these deterministic processes requires a robust platform capable of replicating mechanically dynamic environments. Such a system would greatly enhance in-vitro testing of therapies and facilitate drug discovery by incorporating the critical influence of mechanical forces, which is a factor of increasing importance for pharmaceutical and biotechnological applications. However, no commercially available device currently addressed this need. Existing methods were limited to basic scientific approaches that lack the capability to accurately evaluate biomechanical effects. This gap significantly impeded the translation of mechanobiology research into industrial and technological applications.
In ISBIOMECH, we addressed the urgent need for innovative in-vitro testing platforms that enable the precise application of defined mechanical stimuli, paving the way for quantitative experimental analysis and advancing both scientific and industrial progress. We introduced an innovative intelligent system designed to control the mechanical environment of cellular and tissue materials, with the aim of commercialising it as advanced laboratory equipment for mechanobiology research and testing pathological treatments. This groundbreaking device, accompanied by dedicated software, will be the first commercially available solution to enable robust and reproducible in-vitro testing of mechanically influenced biological processes. The system leverages magneto-responsive substrates, providing non-invasive, multidimensional, and real-time control over complex deformation modes in cellular and tissue materials. By doing so, ISBIOMECH bridges the gap between fundamental mechanobiology research and industrial-technological applications, fostering knowledge transfer and collaboration. With its capacity to replicate complex and dynamic deformation states, the system has the potential to transform mechanobiological research. It opens new experimental avenues for understanding critical processes involved in conditions such as traumatic brain injury, pathological skin scarring, and fibrotic heart remodelling during myocardial infarction.
