Tissues and issues

Lungs are delicate structures built as a result of a sequence of multiple events, controlled by complicated signals and factors yet to be fully understood. Until now, developmental biology has relied on model animals. In order to develop substitutes more closely reproducing human processes, human tissues of embryonic and foetal origin are currently being explored. I will introduce how we use human tissues to set up ‘organoids’ as models for in vitro studies. We will see how important they are for basic research and show that human foetal tissues are valuable resources for science.

To form an organism, cells divide and eventually differentiate to perform the right function at the right place. But to get there, cells move around and generate forces able to shape tissues. Mechanics is an important aspect of biology. I will introduce some of the key principles involved in cell mechanics and tissue morphogenesis, and present a few techniques recently developed to study the dynamic behaviour of living systems. We will then explore how these observations can shed light on selected processes occurring during embryo development or involved in disease progression.

It is a fundamental fact of life that tissues age, but why? And how? Tissues are made up of cells and the material around cells, the so-called extracellular matrix (ECM). Ageing of the ECM in tissues underlies most of the detrimental effects of getting older – stiffer blood vessels, more fragile bones and less elastic skin. I will discuss the molecules that make up the ECM in our structural tissues and the mechanical structure of the ECM, and then go on to consider what happens to those molecules as we age to formulate an understanding of why our structural tissues lose their youthfulness.

As part of the Creative Reactions project, these artists will be presenting their artwork inspired by the research of speakers in this talk series. The artwork will also be on display at our Creative Reactions Exhibition at St Barnabas Church, 24 - 25 May.