Latest research publication from our lab reveals a role for YAP-activating hydrogels in stem cell-derived podocyte differentiation and molecular-level specialization

Excited to share our latest published research studies, in which we explore how visceral epithelial cells (i.e., podocytes) respond to extracellular cues in unexpected ways. While many researchers rely on changes in cell shape or F-actin polymerization to infer how cells respond to matrix elasticity, our findings show that these conventional indicators can sometimes be misleading.

Full paper: https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11101038

Here's what we found:

1. Podocytes—a specialized/post-mitotic cell type found in the kidney's blood filtration unit—prefer matrices that activate YAP, a protein linked to mechanotransduction.
2. BUT, they adopt functional phenotypes when these YAP-activating matrices are compliant—promoting flexible cytoskeletal arrangements instead of rigid architectures.

This could explain why traditional/extremely rigid tissue culture substrates often fail to model in vivo-like biological responses in cultured podocytes. It's a step towards designing better environments for studying cell biology and could have implications for improving tissue engineering and kidney disease modeling. Congratulations to #MusahLab graduate student Yize (Eon) Zhang for leading this work from our team exploring the interface between biomaterials and cell biology!