It’s all about the force

TractionsForAll 2015 is a freely distributed program that calculates tractions exerted by an adherent cell on the soft hydrogel substrate. It is created to allow the students and researchers in the field of mechanobiology to study contractile responses of variety of cell types. Although helpful for understanding the process, no background in applied mechanics and computer programming is needed for using the software. The program is written and compiled in Matlab (Mathworks). The software can be used within academic community, but not for any commercial application.

More details about the background theory and implemented experimental techniques can be found in following references [1-7]:

1. Marinković A, Mih JD, Park JA, Liu F, Tschumperlin DJ. Improved throughput traction microscopy reveals pivotal role for matrix stiffness in fibroblast contractility and TGF-beta responsiveness. American journal of physiology Lung cellular and molecular physiology 2012; 303:L169-80.

2. Liu F, Lagares D, Choi KM, Marinković A, Vrbanac V, Probst CK, Sisson TH, Horowitz JC, Rosas I, Fredenburgh LE, Varelas X, Tager AM, Tschumperlin DJ, “Mechanosignaling through YAP and TAZ drive fibroblast activation and fibrosis”, Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 308: L344–L357, 2015.

3. Mih JD, Sharif AS, Liu F, Marinković A, Symer MM, Tschumperlin DJ. A multiwell platform for studying stiffness-dependent cell biology. PloS one 2011; 6:e19929.

4. Marinković A, Liu F, and Tschumperlin DJ, “Matrices of physiologic stiffness potently inactivate IPF fibroblasts”, Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2013 Apr;48(4):422-30, PMID: 23258227

5. Mih JD, Marinković A, Liu F, Sharif A, and Tschumperlin DJ, “Matrix stiffness reverses the effect of actomyosin tension on cell proliferation”, J Cell Sci. 2012 Dec 15;125(Pt 24):5974-83, PMID: 23097048

6. Butler JP, Tolic-Norrelykke IM, Fabry B, Fredberg JJ. Traction fields, moments, and strain energy that cells exert on their surroundings. American journal of physiology 2002; 282:C595-605.

7. Tolic-Norrelykke IM, Butler JP, Chen J, Wang N. Spatial and temporal traction response in human airway smooth muscle cells. American journal of physiology 2002; 283:C1254-66.

If you find this program useful please include these references in your publication.