Berlin – An international study coordinated by Italy’s National Research Council (CNR) has uncovered how cellular secretion processes increase or decrease in response to mechanical stimuli from the surrounding environment.

Inside every cell lies a sophisticated transport network—known as the secretory apparatus—that moves and distributes proteins and lipids both within the cell and to the outside. The research, published in Advanced Science, offers new insights into this essential process, which underpins protein release and tissue functionality.

The team included scientists from the CNR Institute of Nanotechnology in Lecce (CNR-Nanotec), the CNR Institute of Endotypes in Oncology, Metabolism and Immunology in Naples (CNR-Ieomi), the Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine (TIGEM), the National Institute of Molecular Genetics (INGM), the University of Milan, the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), and the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The researchers identified a previously unknown biological mechanism that regulates cell secretion, demonstrating that cells can sense the mechanical signals of their environment and adjust protein transport and secretion based on tissue stiffness.

The discovery opens new perspectives for understanding and treating diseases such as cancer and fibrosis, where tissues become abnormally rigid. “In these pathological conditions,” the researchers explain, “tissues stiffen, prompting cells to secrete more proteins—further increasing stiffness and creating a vicious cycle that drives disease progression.”

These findings represent an important step toward understanding how mechanical forces regulate cellular secretion. Knowing that tissue rigidity influences cell secretion could help develop new therapeutic strategies to modulate cell behavior in fibrosis, tumors, and related conditions.