Mechanobiology and mechanomedicine: Tuning the tension in the life

Abstract

Mechanobiology is now a widely accepted field of science at the interface of biology, medicine, engineering, and physics. Mechanomedicine, however, is an emerging field of diagnosing and treating diseases based on the knowledge obtained from mechanobiological studies. It proposes a new concept of diagnosis and treatment of diseases using the mechanical concept, theories, and approaches. But the question how we employ the mechanical factors to diagnose and treat the diseases is far from being addressed. Here, based on our recent studies on the tensional homeostasis, we try to give some clues for the endeavor of answering these questions. Diseases are thought as the results of significant deviation of function/structure of life from the corresponding homeostasis at different length scales, including the tensional homeostasis. If we can properly tune the value of tension in the living organisms, then it creates a new way of treating the diseases.