Mechanical cell competition

Abstract

Maintenance of tissue organization is crucial to ensure normal organ function and organism viability. Tissues are loaded with the ability to sense the available space, measuring cell density and adapting their behaviour accordingly. To keep homeostasis, compression pressure generated by local cell density increment triggers cell elimination. During mechanical cell competition, winner cells compress the neighbouring cells, promoting tissue crowding, which leads to cell elimination. Thus, the hypersensitivity to crowding may confer a loser status, whereas resistance to mechanical-induced elimination may favour a winner status. Here we analyse the emerging field of mechanical cell competition, describing the mechanotransducers implicated in cell elimination. Furthermore, we highlight the dual role of mechanical cell competition (MCC) as tumour suppression or expansion mechanisms.