Publications

To see a complete list of publications by Dr. Polacheck, visit his google scholar page.

52. Aw, W.Y., Sawhney, A., Rathod, M., Whitworth, C.P., Doherty, E.L., Madden, E., Lu, J., Westphal, K., Stack, R., and Polacheck, W.J.* Dysfunctional mechanotransduction regulates the progression of PIK3CA-driven vascular malformations. BioRxiv.

51. Polacheck, W.J.*, Dixon, J.B., and Aw, W.Y. Understanding the Lymphatic System: Tissue on Chip Modeling. Annual Reviews Biomedical Engineering (Accepted, in press).

50. Mote, N., Kubik, S., Polacheck, W.J., Baker, B.M., and Trappmann, B.* (2024) A nanoporous hydrogel-based model to study chemokine gradient-driven angiogenesis under luminal flow. Lab on a Chip 2024,24,4892-4906..

49. Whitworth, C.P., Aw, W.Y., Doherty, E.L., Handler, C., Ambekar, Y., Sawhney, A., Scarcelli, G., Polacheck, W.J. P300 modulates endothelial mechanotransduction of fluid shear stress. 17, 507-523 (2024).

48. Surendran, V., Safarulla, S., Ali, R., Griffith, C., Madan, A., Polacheck, W.J., Chandrasekaran, A.* (2024) A Magnetically integrated Tumor-Vascular Interface System to mimic Pro-angiogenic Endothelial Dysregulations for On-Chip Drug Testing. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 16, 36, 47075-47088.

47. Farber, G., Qiaozi, W., Rathod, M.L., Wang, H., Dixit, M., Keepers, B., Xie, Y., Butz, K., Polacheck, W.J., Liu, J., Qian, L* (2024) Direct conversion of cardiac fibroblasts into endothelial-like cells using Sox17 and Erg. Nature Communications 15, 4170.

46. Doherty, E.L., Krohn, G., Warren, E.C., Patton, A., Whitworth, C.P., Rathod, M., Biehl, A., Aw, W.Y., Freytes, D.O., Polacheck, W.J. Human cell-derived matrix composite hydrogels with diverse composition for use in vasculature-on-chip models. Advanced Healthcare Materials 2024, 13, 2400192.

45. Rathod, M., Aw, W.Y., Huang, S.A., Lu, J., Doherty, E.L., Whitworth, C.P., Xi, G., Roy-Chaudhury, P., Polacheck, W.J. Engineered blood vessels for predicting cardiovascular risk in chronic kidney disease. Small 2024, 2307901.

44. Whitworth, C.P. and Polacheck, W.J. Patient-derived vascular organs-on-chip: technologies to transform drug discovery and disease modeling. Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery. 19(3)339-351.

43. Rich, M.J., Burnash, S., Krishnan, R.R., Chubinskaya, S., Loeser, R.F., Polacheck, W.J., Diekman, B.O. Use of a novel magnetically actuated compression system to study the temporal dynamics of axial and lateral strain in human osteochondral plugs. Journal of Biomechanics 162:11187.

42. Du, Y., Jong, I.E.M., Gupta, K., Waisbourd-Zinman, O., Har-Zahav, A., Soroka, C.J., Boyer, J.L., Llewellyn, J., Liu, C., Naji., A., Polacheck, W.J., Wells, R.G. Human vascularized bile duct-on-a-chip: a multi-cellular microphysiological system for studying primary sclerosing cholangitis. Biofabrication 16(1): 150004.

41. Lee, E.L, Polacheck, W.J., Kwak, S., Wen, A., Nguyen, D.H.T., Kutys, M.L., Alimperti, S.A., Eyckmans, J., Bielenberg, D.R., Chen, H., Chen, C.S. A biomimetic lymphatics-on-chip reveals ROCK2 as a therapeutic target for lymphedema. PNAS 120(41): e2308941120.

40. Wang, H., Aw, W.Y., Rathod, M., Huang, S.A., Polacheck, W.J. A facile fluid pressure system reveals differential cellular response to interstitial pressure gradients and flow. Biomicrofluidics 17(5):054103.

39. Doherty, E.L., Aw, W.Y., Warren, E.C., Hockenberry, M., Krohn, G., Howell, S., Diekman, B.O., Legant, R.L., Nia, H.T., Hickey, A.J., Polacheck, W.J. Patient-derived extracellular matrix demonstrates role of COL3A1 in blood vessel mechanics. Acta Biomaterialia 166:346-359.

38. Aw, W.Y., Cho, C., Wang, H., Cooper, A.H., Doherty, E.L., Rocco, D., Huang, S.A., Kubik, S., Whitworth, C.P., Armstrong, R., Hickey, A.J., Griffith, B., Kutys, M.L., Blatt, J., Polacheck, W.J. Microphysiological model of PIK3CA-driven vascular malformations reveals a role of dysregulated Rac1 and mTORC1/2 in lesion formation. Science Advances 9(7):eade8939. PMCID: PMC9931220.

37. Conrad, C., Moore, K., Polacheck, W.J., Rizvi, I.R., Scarcelli, G. Water transport regulates nucleus volume, cell density, Young's modulus, and E-cadherin expression in tumor spheroids. Eur. J. Cell Biology 151278.

36. Chhabra, A., Song, H.H., Grzelak, K.A., Polacheck, W.J., Fleming, H.E., Chen, C.S., Bhatia, S.N. A vascularized model of the human liver mimics regenerative processes. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sciences USA 119(28)e2115867119.

35. Lee, G., Huang, S.A., Aw, W.Y., Rathod, M.L., Cho, C., Ligler, F.S., Polacheck, W.J. Multilayer microfluidic platform for the study of luminal, transmural, and interstitial flow. Biofabrication 14, 025007.

34. Pérez-Rodríguez, S., Huang, S.A., Borau, C., García-Aznar, Polacheck, W.J. Microfluidic model of monocyte extravasation reveals the role of hemodynamics and subendothelial matrix mechanics in regulating endothelial integrity. Biomicrofluidics 15(15), 054102. PMCID: PMC8443302.

33. Wang, W.Y., Kent, R.N., Huang, S.A., Jarman, E.H., Shikanov, E.H., Davidson, C.D., Hiraki, H.L., Lin, D., Wall, M.A., Shin, J., Polacheck, W.J., Shikanov, A., Baker, B.M. Direct comparison of angiogenesis in natural and synthetic biomaterials reveals matrix porosity regulates endothelial cell invasion speed and sprout diameter. Acta Biomaterialia. S1742-7061(21)00571-7. PMID: 34469789.

32. Rickard, B.P.,Conrad, C., Sorrin, A.J., Ruhi, M.K., Reader, J.C., Huang, S.A., Franco, W., Scarcelli, G., Polacheck, W.J., Roque, D.M., del Carmen, M.G., Huang, H.C., Demirci, U., Rizvi, I. Malignant ascites in ovarian cancer: cellular, acellular, and biophysical determinants of molecular characteristics and therapy response. Cancers. 13:4318.

31. Liu, J., Long, H., Zeuschner, D., Rader, A.F.B., Polacheck, W.J., Kessler, H., Sorokin, L., Trappmann, B. Synthetic extracellular matrices with tailored adhesiveness and degradability support lumen formation during angiogenic sprouting. Nature Communications (2021) 12:3402.

30. Conrad, C., Moore, K., Polacheck, W.J., Rizvi, I.R., Scarcelli, G. Mechanical modulation of tumor nodules under flow. IEEE Transactions in Biomedical Engineering doi: 10.1109/TMBE.2021.3092641.

29. Thomas, K., Henley, T., Rossi, S., Costello, J., Polacheck, W.J., Griffith, B., Bressan, M. Adherens junction engagement regulates functional patterning of the cardiac pacemaker cell lineage. Developmental Cell (2021) 56(10):1498-1511e7.

28. Doherty, E.L.*, Aw, W.Y.*, Hickey, A.J., Polacheck, W.J. Microfluidic and organ-on-a-chip approaches to investigate cellular and microenvironmental contributions to cardiovascular function and pathology. Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology (2021) 9:624435. PMCID7890362.

27. Kutys, M.L.*, Polacheck, W.J.*, Welch, M.K., Gagnon, K.A., Koorman, T., Kim, S., Li, L., McClatchey, A.I., Chen, C.S. Uncovering mutation-specific morphogenic phenotypes and paracrine-mediated vessel dysfunction in a biomimetic vascularized mammary duct platform. Nature Communications (2020)11:337.

26. Griffith, C.M.*, Huang, S.A.*, Cho, C., Khare, T.M., Rich, M., Lee, G., Ligler, F.S., Diekman, B.O., Polacheck, W.J. Microfluidics for the study of mechanotransduction. Journal of Physics Part D: Applied Physics 53(22):224004.

25. Wang, W.Y., Lin, D., Jarman, E.H., Polacheck, W.J., Baker, B.M. Functional angiogenesis requires microenvironmental cues balancing endothelial cell migration and proliferation. Lab on a Chip 20(6):1153-1166.

24. Waldeland, J.O., Polacheck, W.J., Evje, S. Collective tumor cell migration in the presence of fibroblasts. Journal of Biomechanics 100:109568. PMID: 31902609, DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2019.109568

23. Sorrin, A.J., Ruhi, M.K., Ferlic, N., Karimnia, V., Polacheck, W.J., Celli, J.P., Huang, H.C., Rizvi, I.R. Photodynamic therapy and the biophysics of the tumor microenvironment. Photochemistry and Photobiology 96(2), 232-259. PMID: 31895481, DOI: 10.1111/php.13209

22. Du, Y., Khandekar, G., Llewellyn, J., Polacheck, W.J., Chen, C.S., Wells, R.G. A bile duct-on-a-chip with organ-level functions. Hepatology 71(4):1350-1363. PMID: 31465556, PMCID: PMC7048662, DOI: 10.1002/hep.30918

21. Polacheck, W.J., Kutys, M.L., Tefft, J.B., Chen, C.S. Microfabricated blood vessels for modeling the vascular transport barrier. Nature Protocols 14, 1425-1454.

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20. Benhamouche, S., O’Loughlin, E., Liu, C., Polacheck, W.J., Fitament, J., El-Bardeesy, N., Chen, C.S., McClatchey, A.I. Proliferation-independent role of NF2 (merlin) in limiting biliary morphogenesis. Development 145(9), 1-11.

19. Chopra, A. Kutys, M.L., Zhang, K., Polacheck, W.J., Sheng, C., Eyckmans, J., Seidman, J.G., Seidman, C.E., Hinson, J.T., Chen, C.S. Force generation via β-cardiac myosin, titin, and α-actinin drives cardiac sarcomere assembly from focal adhesions. Developmental Cell 44(1):87-96.

18. Polacheck, W.J., Kutys, M.L., Yang, J., Eyckmans, J.E., Wu, Y., Vasavada, H., Hirschi, K.K., and Chen, C.S. A non-canonical Notch signaling complex regulates adherens junctions and endothelial barrier function. Nature 552:258-262

Reviewed in a Current Biology dispatch entitled Vascular Permeability: Flow-Mediated, Non-canonical Notch Signalling Promotes Barrier Integrity.
Reviewed as a spotlight in Trends in Cell Biology entitled Notching a New Pathway in Vascular Flow Sensing.
Highlighted in Science Signaling editor's choice - cell and molecular signaling.
Highlighted in Faculty of 1000 - Cell Biology.
Highlighted in The Wyss Institute press release.

17. Alimperti, S., Mirabella, T., Bajaj, V., Polacheck, W.J., Ward, D., Duffield, J.D., Assoian, R., Chen, C.S Three-dimensional biomimetic vascular model reveals a RhoA, Rac1, and N-cadherin balance in mural cell-endothelial cell-regulated barrier function. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sciences USA 2017, 114(33):8758-8763.

16. Trappmann, B., Baker, B.M., Polacheck, W.J., Choi, C.K., Burdick, J.A., Chen, C.S. Matrix degradability controls multicellularity of 3D cell migration. Nature Communications 2017, 8(1):371

15. Abbas, Y., Oefner, C.M., Polacheck, W.J., Gardner, L., Farrell, L., Sharkey, A., Kamm, R.D., Moffett, A., Oyen, M.L A microfluidics assay to study invasion of human placental trophoblast cells. J. R. Soc. Interface 2017, 14(13): 20170131.

14. McCurley, A., Alimperti, S., Campos-Bilderback, S.B., Sandoval, R.M., Calvino, J.E., Reynolds, T.L., Quigley, C., Mugford, J., Polacheck, W.J., Dovey, J., Marsh, G., Huang, A., Qian, F., Wienreb, P.H., Dolinski, B.M., Moore, S., Duffield, J.S., Chen, C.S., Molitoris, B.A., Violette, S.M., Crackower, M.A. Inhibition of avb5 integrin leads to a pericyte-dependent attenuation of vascular permeability and protects against renal ischemia reperfusion injury. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 2017, 28(6):1741-1752.

13. Polacheck, W.J. and Chen, C.S. Measuring cell-generated forces: a guide to the available tools. Nature Methods 2016, 13(5): 415-423.

12. Hinson, J.T., Chopra, A.C., Nafissi, N., Polacheck, W.J., Benson, C.C., Swist, S., Gorham, J., Yang, L., Schafer, S., Hubner, N., Church, G., Cook, S.A., Linke, W.A., Chen, C.S., Seidman, J.G., Seidman, C.E. Titin mutations in iPS cells define sarcomere insufficiency as a cause of dilated cardiomyopathy. Science 2015, 349 (6251): 982-986.

11. Scarcelli, G., Polacheck, W.J., Nia, H.T., Grodzinsky, A.J., Kamm, R.D., Yun, S.H. Noncontact three-dimensional mapping of intracellular hydro-mechanical properties by Brillouin microscopy. Nature Methods 2015, 12(12): 1132-1134.

10. Borau, C., Polacheck, W.J., Kamm, R.D., Garcia-Aznar, J.M. Probabilistic voxel-FE model for single cell motility in 3D. In Silico Cell and Tissue Science 2014, 1 (1), 2

9. Polacheck, W.J., German, A.E., Mammoto, A., Ingber, D.E., and Kamm, R.D. Mechanotransduction of fluid stresses governs 3D cell migration. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sciences USA 2014, 111(7): 2447-2452

8. Polacheck, W.J. and Kamm, R.D. Responsible research in an international laboratory: personal perspectives from a lab member and principal investigator. J. Philosophy Science and Law 2014, 14:13-31

7. Polacheck, W.J., Li, R., Uzel, S.U., and Kamm, R.D. Microfluidic platforms for mechanobiology. Lab on a Chip 2013, 13(12):2252-2267

6. Polacheck, W.J., Zervantonakis, I.K., and Kamm, R.D. Tumor cell migration through complex microenvironments. Cell Mol. Life Sci. 2013, 70(8): 1335-1356

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5. Chan, J.M., Zervantonakis, I.K., Rimchala, T., Polacheck, W.J., Whisler, J., and Kamm, R.D. Engineering of In Vitro 3D Capillary Beds by Self-Directed Angiogenic Sprouting. PLoS ONE 2013, 7(12): e508

Highlighted in Lab on a Chip

4. Polacheck, W.J., Charest, J.L., and Kamm, R.D. Interstitial flow influences tumor cell migration through competing mechanisms. Proc. Nat. Acad. Sciences USA 2011, 108(27): 11115-11120

Highlighted on the MIT homepage

Highlighted in the MIT Mechanical Engineering Newsletter

3. Chandler, E.M., Berglund, C.M., Lee, J.S., Polacheck, W.J., Gleghorn, J.P., Kirby, B.J., and Fischbach, C. Stiffness of Photocrosslinked RGD-Alginate Gels Regulates Adipose Progenitor Cell Behavior. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 2011, 108(7): 1683-1692

2. Rouillard, A.D., Berglund, C.M., Lee, J.Y., Polacheck, W.J., Tsui, Y., Bonassar, L.J., and Kirby, B.J. Methods for photocrosslinking alginate hydrogel scaffolds with high cell viability. Tissue Engineering 2010, 17(2): 173-179

1. Rouillard, A.D., Tsui, Y., Polacheck, W.J., Lee, J.Y., Bonassar, L.J., and Kirby, B.J. Control of the Electromechanical Properties of Alginate Tissue Scaffolds via Ionic and Covalent Crosslinking and Microparticle Doping. Biomacromolecules 2010, 11(8): 2184-2189

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