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Alastair Stewart
pharmacologist
parkville
Public Documents
1
Mechanopharmacology: In Vitro Techniques to Advance Drug Discovery
Jana Zielinski
and 4 more
July 28, 2024
Mechanopharmacology is an emerging interdisciplinary field that investigates drug action using biomechanically appropriate in vitro systems to the relevant (patho)physiology. This review outlines emerging technologies and techniques which aim to bridge the gap between mechanical cues influencing cellular biology and conventional pharmacology. We delve into the impact of mechanopharmacology on drug development in cancers and fibrotic diseases. Mechanical cues such as stretch, stiffness, circadian rhythms, fluid flow, intercellular signalling cascades and cytoskeletal structures can modulate drug interactions with molecular targets with implications for drug discovery and development. Models incorporating mechanopharmacological cues to investigate pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and therapeutic outcomes are outlined. Furthermore, this review discusses innovations in the use of biomaterials and microfluidics, to enable further the emulation of the mechanical microenvironment. We advocate for the application of mechanopharmacological considerations to improve the physiological relevance of methods used in the drug discovery pipeline.