Overview

• MIT engineers reported in Nature Physics that fluid moving between cells governs how tissues deform and relax under pressure
• Experiments using a custom microbalance revealed that larger tissue clusters require more time to relax due to slower intercellular flow
• The study challenges the long-held belief that tissue compliance is driven primarily by what is inside cells
• These insights could guide the design of artificial tissues and organs by optimizing intercellular fluid pathways
• Researchers will next investigate how intercellular fluid dynamics influence brain function and potential Alzheimer’s therapies