The question of whether or not stem cells remember past physical signals was addressed in a recent Nature Materials paper by Distinguished Professor Kristi Anseth and collaborators Chun Yang, Mark Tibbitt, and Lena Basta.
In their article titled, "Mechanical memory and dosing influence stem cell fate," Anseth and team conclude that stem cells possess mechanical memory that stores information from past physical environments and influences the cells' fate.
This work has been highlighted by a number of outlets, including C&E News and The Scientist.