Carina Seah, MD PhD

After a traumatic brain injury, subtle disruptions in the brain’s support cells may quietly reshape how neural networks function and recover. Investigating this, researchers applied controlled mechanical stretch to lab-grown human astrocytes to mimic different levels of injury. They combined live-cell imaging of calcium signaling and mitochondrial function with ion channel staining and RNA sequencing to capture both functional and molecular responses. The results showed severity-dependent declines in cell viability and signaling, with partial recovery at moderate injury levels, alongside gene expression changes pointing to impaired metabolism and pathways linked to cortical thinning. Even transient disruptions in astrocyte function may set the stage for longer-term brain changes, highlighting new cellular targets for preventing or slowing the downstream effects of traumatic brain injury. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲: link.springer.com/article/10… 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝘆: Mechanical Stretch Disrupts Calcium Dynamics and Redistributes Piezo1 in Human Astrocytes 𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀: Shahrzad Shiravi, Akash Chakka, Xi Xiao, Meilin Fernandez Garcia, Alexandra Yufa, Angela Mitevska, @CarinaSeah, Huanyao Gao, @Laura M. Huckins, Kristen J. Brennand, and @JohnDFinan @thisisUIC @UICEngineering @MIE_UIC @Yale @YaleMed @YalePsych @IcahnMountSinai 𝗦𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁: link.springer.com/journal/10…