Vascular Biology Program, Departments of Pathology and Surgery, Harvard Medical School and Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA – Analysis of cellular mechanotransduction, the mechanism by which cells convert mechanical signals into biochemical responses, has focused on identification of critical mechanosensitive molecules and cellular components. Stretch-activated ion channels, caveolae, integrins, cadherins, growth factor receptors, myosin motors, cytoskeletal filaments, nuclei, extracellular matrix, and numerous other structures and signaling molecules have all been shown to contribute to the mechanotransduction response.