摘　要：生物力学是采用力学方法对生物系统的结构和功能进行的研究，与生物化学信号一起是调节胚胎发育、干细胞发育分化和组织器官形成的重要因素。近年来，随着学科交叉的深入，生物力学因素越来越受到研究者的重视。目前的研究表明：在心血管和造血系统，血流产生的流体剪切力对于血管内皮和造血细胞的发育分化至关重要；此外，对于广泛研究的间充质干细胞，由细胞外基质物理特性诱导的细胞张力对于干细胞功能及其向不同子代细胞的分化也扮演了重要的角色；而在肝脏等上皮组织来源的器官，也有研究提示生物力学因素，如基质弹性等在疾病的发生发展过程中起到了不可忽视的作用。总之，在干细胞发育分化过程中，生物力学调控与生物化学信号通路怎样协同发挥作用将成为今后研究的重点。

关键词：干细胞；发育；生物力学；流体剪切力；张力

中图分类号：Q813；Q66　　文献标识码：A

 

Abstract: The term biomechanics is used here to mean the study of the structure and function of biological systems using the methods of mechanics. Both of the biochemical and biochemical signaling pathways play a critical role in embryogenesis， stem cell development， differentiation， and organogenesis. With the advances of the cross discipline between biology and mechanics， much more attentions have been paid to biomechanical regulation. Recent studies suggest that blood flow-induced fluid shear stress is virtually involved in the development of hematopoietic and endothelial cells. For mesenchymal stem cells， a widely studied stem cell， the physical properties of extracellular matrix-induced tension forces also play key roles in determining stem cell function and fate. Several independent evidences also indicate that biomechanical factors such as tissue level elasticity are implicated in progressions of liver diseases and cancer. Taken together， how biomechanical and biochemical signaling pathways are intertwined will be focused in the future.

Key words: stem cells; development; biomechanics; fluid shear stress; tension forces