Mechanotransduction is a physiological process in which external mechanical stimulations are perceived, interpreted, and translated by cells into biochemical signals. Mechanical stimulations exerted by extracellular matrix stiffness and cell-cell contacts are continuously applied to living cells, thus representing a key pivotal trigger for cell homeostasis, survival, and function, as well as an essential factor for proper organ development and metabolism. Indeed, a deregulation of the mechanotransduction process consequent to gene mutations or altered functions of proteins involved in perceiving cellular and extracellular mechanics can lead to a broad range of diseases, from muscular dystrophies and cardiomyopathies to cancer development and metastatization. Here, we recapitulate the involvement of focal adhesion kinase (FAK) in the cellular conditions deriving from altered mechanotransduction processes.
Keywords: Focal Adhesion Kinase (FAK); extracellular matrix; focal adhesions; mechanotransduction; tissue matrix stiffness.