The Extracellular Matrix Regulates Tissue Mechanics to Enable Cyclic Lymph Node Remodelling for Sustained Immunity
- 1University College London
Abstract
Tissue shape and function are defined by the mechanical interactions of cellular and extracellular components. Lymph nodes cyclically remodel in response to immune challenges whilst preserving essential tissue architecture, comprised of a stromal fibroblastic reticular cell (FRC) network and extracellular matrix (ECM) it ensheaths. We experimentally quantified the contribution of ECM to the viscoelastic properties of the FRC network to parameterise an in silico model exploring factors affecting the FRC network's adaptation to lymph node expansion. The balance between tissue pressure, FRC contractility, and ECM stiffness permit robust tissue remodelling, while maintaining physiological geometries. Local perturbation of ECM stiffness or FRC contractility disrupts force distribution and impacts FRC proliferation and tissue expansion. Spatially dispersed perturbations exert higher impact on tissue remodelling than equivalent localised perturbations, with effects propagating across the network. The lymph node provides a system for studying the integration of cellular and extracellular mechanics during dramatic tissue remodelling.
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BibTeX
@misc{lachina2026extracellular,
title = {{The Extracellular Matrix Regulates Tissue Mechanics to Enable Cyclic Lymph Node Remodelling for Sustained Immunity}},
author = {V. Lachina and P. Vicente-Munuera and A. Llewellyn and S. Makris and A. C. Benjamin and K. Naidoo and Y. Mao and S. E. Acton},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.64898/2026.08.17.745227},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.17.745227v2},
note = {CC BY-NC},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - The Extracellular Matrix Regulates Tissue Mechanics to Enable Cyclic Lymph Node Remodelling for Sustained Immunity
AU - V. Lachina
AU - P. Vicente-Munuera
AU - A. Llewellyn
AU - S. Makris
AU - A. C. Benjamin
AU - K. Naidoo
AU - Y. Mao
AU - S. E. Acton
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/17
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.08.17.745227
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.08.17.745227v2
AB - Tissue shape and function are defined by the mechanical interactions of cellular and extracellular components. Lymph nodes cyclically remodel in response to immune challenges whilst preserving essential tissue architecture, comprised of a stromal fibroblastic reticular cell (FRC) network and extracellular matrix (ECM) it ensheaths. We experimentally quantified the contribution of ECM to the viscoelastic properties of the FRC network to parameterise an in silico model exploring factors affecting the FRC network's adaptation to lymph node expansion. The balance between tissue pressure, FRC contractility, and ECM stiffness permit robust tissue remodelling, while maintaining physiological geometries. Local perturbation of ECM stiffness or FRC contractility disrupts force distribution and impacts FRC proliferation and tissue expansion. Spatially dispersed perturbations exert higher impact on tissue remodelling than equivalent localised perturbations, with effects propagating across the network. The lymph node provides a system for studying the integration of cellular and extracellular mechanics during dramatic tissue remodelling.
ER -