The mechanobiology of ageing: reproduction of the ageing and rejuvenating ECM environment

Ageing is a chronic process that represents a permanent and gradual deterioration of the
human body. It can be either physiological or pathological, the latter being related to diseases
such as cancers, diabetes, Alzheimer's and cardiovascular disease.

The pathological or physiological cellular decay associated with ageing includes the
deterioration of mechanical properties of the cell and the extracellular matrix (ECM), and
alterations of mechanosensitive and mechanotransductive signalling.
Mechanotransduction is the ability of a cell to perceive external mechanical stimuli and
translate them into biochemical signals, a phenomenon that is the basis for many cellular
activities. Indeed, mechanical forces are pivotal to regulate gene expression, adhesion,
migration and cell fate, which are all important factors for tissue homeostasis.

Understanding how the multifaced and temporal ageing process affects the pathways
involved in the transmission of these forces is, therefore, necessary to enhance the
comprehension of ageing-related dysregulation and diseases.

The project aims to study the impact of the ECM viscoelastic properties on cellular
senescence, either to understand how cells are affected during physiological and pathological
ageing and to invert this process inducing the rejuvenation of the cells.

This work has two major objectives: identify useful biomarkers for the diagnosis of ageing related diseases and define a possible rejuvenation process as a therapeutical solution to
prevent or treat pathological ageing-associated dysregulations.