麦吉尔大学科研团队揭示，T细胞具备感知周围组织物理硬度的能力，这一发现挑战了免疫反应仅由化学信号主导的传统认知 1。该研究成果于2026年10月27日发表在《自然·免疫学》（Nature Immunology）期刊上（2026; 27 (8): 1708），通讯作者为该校生理学系的Judith Mandl教授 1。研究指出，T细胞能够利用这种机械信号来调节自身向长期记忆细胞的分化过程 1。
在实验方法上，研究人员将源自人类和小鼠的免疫细胞置于模拟不同硬度组织的胶原凝胶中，观察到随着凝胶硬度的增加，T细胞表现出更多组织驻留记忆细胞的特征 1。这一机制帮助T细胞决定其是否分化为能在组织中长久驻留的记忆细胞，从而为抵御未来的感染提供保护 1。理解T细胞如何适应物理环境，对于设计更有效的癌症免疫疗法具有重要意义，因为肿瘤通常质地致密且难以渗透；此外，该发现也为自身免疫疾病、过敏反应及移植排斥的治疗提供了新的思路 1。这项研究获得了包括人类前沿科学计划（Human Frontier Science Program）、加拿大卫生研究院（CIHR）以及加拿大创新基金会等机构的资金支持 1。
Researchers at McGill University have discovered that T cells possess a previously unrecognized ability to sense the physical stiffness of their surrounding tissues. 1 Published on October 27, 2026, in Nature Immunology (Volume 27, Issue 8, page 1708), the study reveals that this mechanical "sense of touch" helps determine whether T cells differentiate into long-term tissue-resident memory cells, which provide protection against future infections. 1 The findings challenge the traditional view that immune responses are governed solely by chemical signals. 1
Led by Judith Mandl, a professor in the Department of Physiology at McGill University, the team demonstrated that when immune cells from humans and mice were placed in collagen gels simulating tissues of varying hardness, stiffer environments caused T cells to exhibit more characteristics of tissue-resident memory cells. 1 This insight suggests that understanding how T cells adapt to their physical environment could enhance cancer immunotherapies, as tumors are often dense and difficult for immune cells to penetrate. 1 Additionally, the research offers new perspectives for treating autoimmune diseases, allergies, and transplant rejection. 1 The study was supported by funding from the Human Frontier Science Program, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and the Canada Foundation for Innovation. 1
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