A New Discovery Could Bring Scientists Closer to Healing Damaged Tendons

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London discovered that tendon cells in the interfascicular matrix respond strongly to changes in tissue stiffness, and that moving cells from stiff to softer surfaces reverses several damaging changes in their structure and gene activity.

Findings are from laboratory studies on isolated cells grown on surfaces of different stiffness. Testing in animal or human tendon tissue and clinical treatments remains ahead.