Mechanical cues for totipotency and the preneural state: embryo and cancer expanding the frontiers of developmental physics

TL;DR

This paper explores how physical and mechanical cues influence cell differentiation, totipotency, and morphogenesis, highlighting their roles in embryonic development and cancer, and proposing new biophysical mechanisms for nervous system emergence.

Contribution

It introduces a novel perspective on the role of physics in cell differentiation and morphogenesis, emphasizing mechanical memory and proposing mechanisms for nervous system emergence.

Findings

Mechanical memory preserves morphogenetic records.

Mechanical pathways are central to embryonic and cancer cell differentiation.

Biophysical mechanisms may explain nervous system emergence.

Abstract

In this article, I advance the idea that physics plays a central role in cell differentiation and makes fundamental contributions to morphogenesis, revealing the totipotent nature of the zygote. Totipotency is a persistent mechanical memory that preserves the biomechanical records of animal morphogenesis. I examine the mechanical and biophysical pathways underlying cell differentiation in embryonic development and cancer, treating them as closely related biological and mechanical processes. Drawing inspiration from evolutionary history, I also propose a biophysical mechanism for the emergence of the animal nervous system. By linking physical principles to cellular differentiation, this review positions mechanobiology as a pillar of innovation with high-impact clinical implications for diseases such as cancer.