PhD, Dipl.-Ing.
Research
Cardiovascular Mechanobiology, Mechanosensing, Cardiovascular Disease, Micro-/Nanopatterning, 3D models
Underpinning Bioengineering, Cardiovascular Models
Interests
Cells in the cardiovascular system react to the changing mechanical stimuli. This affects their behaviour and can trigger cardiovascular disease onset and progression. We are studying cellular mechanosensing in cardiomyocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells, in 2D and 3D in vitro models and using tools to apply or measure forces (AFM, nanoindentation, nanopillars, pressure stimulation), as well as super-resolution or high content imaging and automated image analysis. This allows us to dissect cellular pathways of mechanosignalling and identify novel therapeutic targets, or to develop improved drug testing platforms.
Publications

Publications of specific relevance to Predictive in vitro Models
2023

Ross JA, Arcos-Villacis N, Battey E, Boogerd C, Orellana CA,
Marhuenda E, Swiatlowska P, Hodzic D, Prin F, Mohun T, Catibog N, Tapia O, Gerace L,
Iskratsch T, Shah AM and Stroud MJ (2023).
Lem2 is essential for cardiac development by maintaining nuclear integrity. Cardiovascular Research vol. 119, (11) 2074-2088.
10.1093/cvr/cvad061
Swiatlowska P and
Iskratsch T (2023).
Cardiovascular Mechano-Epigenetics: Force-Dependent Regulation of Histone Modifications and Gene Regulation. Springer Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy 10.1007/s10557-022-07422-z
Battey E, Ross JA, Hoang A, Wilson DGS, Han Y, Levy Y, Pollock RD, Kalakoutis M, Pugh JN, Close GL, Ellison-Hughes GM, Lazarus NR,
Iskratsch T, Harridge SDR, Ochala J and Stroud MJ (2023).
Myonuclear alterations associated with exercise are independent of age in humans. Journal of Physiology 10.1113/JP2841282022

Jacques R, Zhou B,
Marhuenda E, Gorecki J, Das A,
Iskratsch T and
Krause S (2022).
Photoelectrochemical imaging of single cardiomyocytes and monitoring of their action potentials through contact force manipulation of organoids. Elsevier Biosensors and Bioelectronics 10.1016/j.bios.2022.115024
Iskratsch T, Hawkes W,
Marhuenda E, Reynolds P, O'Neill C, PANDEY P, Wilson D, FREELEY M, HUANG D, Junquiang H, Gondarenko S, Hone J, Gadegaard N and
Palma M (2022).
Regulation of Cardiomyocyte Adhesion and
Mechanosignalling Through Distinct Nanoscale Behaviour of
Integrin Ligands Mimicking Healthy or Fibrotic ECM. The Royal Society Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 10.1098/rstb.2022.0021
Swiatlowska P, Sit BHM, Zhen F,
Marhuenda E, Xanthis I, Zingaro S, Ward M, Zhou X,
Xiao Q, Shanahan C, Jones G, Yu C-H and
Iskratsch T (2022).
Pressure and stiffness sensing together regulate vascular smooth muscle cell phenotype switching. American Association For The Advancement of Science Science Advances 10.1126/sciadv.abm34712021

Swiatlowska P and
Iskratsch T (2021).
Tools for studying and modulating (cardiac muscle) cell mechanics and mechanosensing across the scales. Biophysical Reviews vol. 13, (5) 611-623.
10.1007/s12551-021-00837-2
Swiatlowska P and
Iskratsch T (2021).
Cardiovascular mechanobiology—a Special Issue to look at the state of the art and the newest insights into the role of mechanical forces in cardiovascular development, physiology and disease. Springer (Part of Springer Nature) Biophysical Reviews vol. 13, (5) 575-577.
10.1007/s12551-021-00842-5
Swiatlowska P and
Iskratsch T (2021).
Announcing the call for the Special Issue on “Cardiovascular mechanobiology—a special issue to look at the state of the art and the newest insights into the role of mechanical forces in cardiovascular development, physiology, and disease”. Biophysical Reviews vol. 13, (3) 307-308.
10.1007/s12551-021-00800-1
Marhuenda E, Fabre C, Zhang C, Martin-Fernandez M,
Iskratsch T, Saleh A, Bauchet L, Cambedouzou J, Hugnot JP, Duffau H, Dennis JW, Cornu D and Bakalara N (2021).
Glioma stem cells invasive phenotype at optimal stiffness is driven by MGAT5 dependent mechanosensing. Journal of Experimental and Clinical Cancer Research vol. 40, (1)
10.1186/s13046-021-01925-72020
Ward M and
Iskratsch T (2020).
Mix and (mis-)match – The mechanosensing machinery in the changing environment of the developing, healthy adult and diseased heart. Biochimica Et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Cell Research vol. 1867, (3)
10.1016/j.bbamcr.2019.01.0172019

Pedrosa A-R, BODRUG N, Gomez-Escudero J, Carter EP, Reynolds LE, Georgiou PN, Fernandez I, Lees DM, Kostourou V, Alexopoulou AN, Batista S, Tavora B, Serrels B, Parsons M,
Iskratsch T and
Hodivala-Dilke K (2019).
Tumour angiogenesis is differentially regulated by endothelial cell Focal Adhesion Kinase tyrosine-397 and -861 phosphorylation. American Association For Cancer Research Cancer Research 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-3934
Sit B, Gutmann D and
Iskratsch T (2019).
Costameres, dense plaques and podosomes: the cell matrix adhesions in cardiovascular mechanosensing. Journal of Muscle Research and Cell Motility vol. 40, (2) 197-209.
10.1007/s10974-019-09529-7
Hawkes W, Huang D, Reynolds P, Hammond L,
Ward M, Gadegaard N, Marshall JF, Iskratch T and
Palma M (2019).
Probing the nanoscale organisation and multivalency of cell surface receptors: DNA origami nanoarrays for cellular studies with single-molecule control. Royal Society of Chemistry (Rsc) Faraday Discussions 10.1039/c9fd00023b2018

Ciuba K, Hawkes W, Tojkander S, Kogan K, Engel U,
ISKRATSCH T and Lappalainen P (2018).
Calponin-3 is critical for coordinated contractility of actin stress fibers. Nature Publishing Group Scientific Reports 10.1038/s41598-018-35948-6
Pandey P, Hawkes W, Hu J, Megone WV,
Gautrot J, Anilkumar N, Zhang M, Hirvonen L, Cox S, Ehler E, Hone J, Sheetz M and
Iskratsch T (2018).
Cardiomyocytes Sense Matrix Rigidity through a Combination of Muscle and Non-muscle Myosin Contractions. Dev Cell vol. 44, (3) 326-336.e3.
10.1016/j.devcel.2017.12.0242017
2016

Santos LC, Blair DA, Kumari S, Cammer M,
Iskratsch T, Herbin O, Alexandropoulos K, Dustin ML and Sheetz MP (2016).
Actin polymerization-dependent activation of Cas-L promotes immunological synapse stability. Immunol Cell Biol vol. 94, (10) 981-993.
10.1038/icb.2016.61
Meacci G, Wolfenson H, Liu S, Stachowiak MR,
Iskratsch T, Mathur A, Ghassemi S, Gauthier N, Tabdanov E, Lohner J, Gondarenko A, Chander AC, Roca-Cusachs P, O'Shaughnessy B, Hone J and Sheetz MP (2016).
α-Actinin links extracellular matrix rigidity-sensing contractile units with periodic cell-edge retractions. Mol Biol Cell vol. 27, (22) 3471-3479.
10.1091/mbc.E16-02-01072015

Wolfenson H, Meacci G, Liu S, Stachowiak MR,
Iskratsch T, Ghassemi S, Roca-Cusachs P, O'Shaughnessy B, Hone J and Sheetz MP (2015).
Tropomyosin controls sarcomere-like contractions for rigidity sensing and suppressing growth on soft matrices. Nat Cell Biol vol. 18, (1) 33-42.
10.1038/ncb3277
Tabdanov E, Gondarenko S, Kumari S, Liapis A, Dustin ML, Sheetz MP, Kam LC and
Iskratsch T (2015).
Micropatterning of TCR and LFA-1 ligands reveals complementary effects on cytoskeleton mechanics in T cells. Integr Biol (Camb) vol. 7, (10) 1272-1284.
10.1039/c5ib00032g2014

Wolfenson H,
Iskratsch T and Sheetz MP (2014).
Early events in cell spreading as a model for quantitative analysis of biomechanical events. Biophysical Journal vol. 107, (11) 2508-2514.
10.1016/j.bpj.2014.10.041
Iskratsch T, Wolfenson H and Sheetz MP (2014).
Appreciating force and shape—the rise of mechanotransduction in cell biology. Nature Reviews. Molecular Cell Biology vol. 15, (12) 825-833.
10.1038/nrm3903
Dwyer J, Pluess M,
Iskratsch T, Dos Remedios CG and Ehler E (2014).
The formin FHOD1 in cardiomyocytes. Anat Rec (Hoboken) vol. 297, (9) 1560-1570.
10.1002/ar.22984
Zhang X, Moore SW,
Iskratsch T and Sheetz MP (2014).
N-WASP-directed actin polymerization activates Cas phosphorylation and lamellipodium spreading. Journal of Cell Science vol. 127, (7) 1394-1405.
10.1242/jcs.1346922013
Iskratsch T, Yu CH, Mathur A, Liu S, Stévenin V, Dwyer J, Hone J, Ehler E and Sheetz M (2013).
FHOD1 is needed for directed forces and adhesion maturation during cell spreading and migration. Developmental Cell vol. 27, (5) 545-559.
10.1016/j.devcel.2013.11.003
Iskratsch T, Reijntjes S, Dwyer J, Toselli P, Dégano IR, Dominguez I and Ehler E (2013).
Two distinct phosphorylation events govern the function of muscle FHOD3. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences vol. 70, (5) 893-908.
10.1007/s00018-012-1154-7
Lynch CD, Lazar AM,
Iskratsch T, Zhang X and Sheetz MP (2013).
Endoplasmic spreading requires coalescence of vimentin intermediate filaments at force-bearing adhesions. Molecular Biology of The Cell vol. 24, (1) 21-30.
10.1091/mbc.E12-05-03772012

Roca-Cusachs P,
Iskratsch T and Sheetz MP (2012).
Finding the weakest link-exploring integrin-mediated mechanical molecular pathways. Journal of Cell Science vol. 125, (13) 3025-3038.
10.1242/jcs.0957942011
2010
Iskratsch T, Lange S, Dwyer J, Kho AL, Remedios CD and Ehler E (2010).
Formin follows function: a muscle-specific isoform of FHOD3 is regulated by CK2 phosphorylation and promotes myofibril maintenance. Rockefeller University Press The Journal of General Physiology vol. 137, (1) i1-i1.
10.1085/jgp1371oia1
Iskratsch T, Lange S, Dwyer J, Kho AL, Dos Remedios C and Ehler E (2010).
Formin follows function: A muscle-specific isoform of FHOD3 is regulated by CK2 phosphorylation and promotes myofibril maintenance. Journal of Cell Biology vol. 191, (6) 1159-1172.
10.1083/jcb.2010050602009

Herbst R,
Iskratsch T, Unger E and Bittner RE (2009).
Aberrant development of neuromuscular junctions in glycosylation-defective Largemyd mice. Neuromuscular Disorders vol. 19, (5) 366-378.
10.1016/j.nmd.2009.02.011
Gutternigg M, Rendić D, Voglauer R,
Iskratsch T and Wilson IBH (2009).
Mammalian cells contain a second nucleocytoplasmic Hexosaminidase. Biochemical Journal vol. 419, (1) 83-90.
10.1042/BJ20081630
Iskratsch T, Braun A, Paschinger K and Wilson IBH (2009).
Specificity analysis of lectins and antibodies using remodeled glycoproteins. Analytical Biochemistry vol. 386, (2) 133-146.
10.1016/j.ab.2008.12.005