A new Cluster publication from the labs of Principal Investigators Motomu Tanaka and Gislene Pereira, featuring the work of Cluster Doctoral Researcher Rida Zahra and Cluster Alumna Natalie Mundig, reveals how the stiffness of the extracellular matrix (ECM) influences the primary cilium. Understanding the factors that regulate their formation is of considerable biomedical interest, because defects in primary cilia are linked to a wide range of diseases.
Using a synthetic ECM model, the researchers identified an optimal substrate stiffness of 1 kilopascal for inducing ciliogenesis in cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells. Analysis of gene expression profiles associated with this optimal stiffness revealed the molecular mechanism that links ECM stiffness to ciliogenesis. Their findings suggest that the tissue-specific mechanical properties of the ECM contribute to the diversity in the structure and function of primary cilia across different organs. This is particularly relevant for the eye, where increased ECM stiffness is a hallmark of age-related macular degeneration. The study therefore raises the possibility that changes in ECM mechanics may contribute to cilia loss in retinal tissue, pointing toward new therapeutic strategies for preserving cilia function and slowing disease progression.
© Zahra, R., Munding, N., Domsch, K. et al., Scientific Reports (2026), CC BY 4.0