Capturing ovarian dynamics through spatial profiling of the mechano-microenvironment

Abstract

In recent years, tissue mechanics has been recognized not as a passive outcome of development but may function as upstream regulators to guide cellular functions such as proliferation, migration, and differentiation. In mammalian ovaries, cross-scale mechanical signals arising from tissue deformation, extracellular matrix architecture, and intrafollicular pressure dynamically evolve over the reproductive lifespan, contributing to a complex biomechanical landscape. Despite increasing recognition of their role in regulating follicle development, mechanical signals from ovarian microenvironment are still often considered separately from changes in gene expression and metabolic pathways. In addition, comprehensive mapping of the ovarian mechano-microenvironment remains lacking, in part due to challenges in assessing mechanical information in ovaries. Here we discuss how emerging biophysical techniques, including the latest advancement in various omics technologies, allow us to probe ovarian mechanics across multiple length scales. Such an integrated approach will provide new insights on how force transmission, matrix remodeling, and cellular signaling intersect within defined spatial niches to regulate ovarian dynamics, paving the way for future understanding of the mechanobiological basis of reproductive disorders.