Macrophages Mediate Mesoscale Brain Mechanical Homeostasis
Abstract
Abstract Mechanical cues orchestrate cellular behavior in the brain, yet how they interface with immune regulation remains unresolved. Here, gigahertz‐frequency Brillouin microscopy with optical trap‐based active microrheology is integrated to map the mechanical impact of macrophage activity across timescales. It is revealed that microglia, brain's resident macrophages, actively sustain tissue viscoelasticity, rather than quiescently residing within the tissues under normal conditions. Moreover, macrophage colony‐stimulating factor 1 receptor (csf1r)‐driven stromal remodeling alters brain mechanical properties in vivo. These findings establish a direct link between immune activity, viscoelastic integrity, and structural plasticity of neural tissue. By bridging high‐frequency material responses with immune‐driven remodeling, the approach provides a framework for decoding how biophysical properties regulate slower‐timescale signaling and offers mechanistic insights for increasing the efficacy of csf1r‐targeted therapies in cancer and neurodegeneration.
Article Details
Authors (12)
Woong Young So
Laboratory of Cell Biology Center for Cancer Research National Cancer Institute National Institutes of Health Bethesda MD 20892 USA
Bailey Johnson
Laboratory of Cell Biology Center for Cancer Research National Cancer Institute National Institutes of Health Bethesda MD 20892 USA
Patricia B. Gordon
Laboratory of Cell Biology Center for Cancer Research National Cancer Institute National Institutes of Health Bethesda MD 20892 USA
Kevin S. Bishop
Fischell Department of Bioengineering Maryland Biophysics Program University of Maryland College Park MD 20742 USA
Hyeyeon Gong
Laboratory of Cell Biology Center for Cancer Research National Cancer Institute National Institutes of Health Bethesda MD 20892 USA
Hannah A Burr
Laboratory of Cell Biology Center for Cancer Research National Cancer Institute National Institutes of Health Bethesda MD 20892 USA
Jack Rory Staunton
Laboratory of Cell Biology Center for Cancer Research National Cancer Institute National Institutes of Health Bethesda MD 20892 USA
Chenchen Handler
Laboratory of Cell Biology Center for Cancer Research National Cancer Institute National Institutes of Health Bethesda MD 20892 USA
Khanh Loan Ly
Laboratory of Cell Biology Center for Cancer Research National Cancer Institute National Institutes of Health Bethesda MD 20892 USA
Raman Sood
Fischell Department of Bioengineering Maryland Biophysics Program University of Maryland College Park MD 20742 USA
Giuliano Scarcelli
Kandice Tanner
Laboratory of Cell Biology Center for Cancer Research National Cancer Institute National Institutes of Health Bethesda MD 20892 USA