Both the cell and its tissue microenvironment exhibit nonlinear viscoelastic mechanical properties, capable of dissipating applied stresses on a time scale relevant to cellular mechanosensing. CD BioSciences offers a variety of in vitro cell viscoelastic assays that can be used to determine changes in cell viscoelastic capacity after various drug treatments, gene editing, or changes in culture conditions.
Cell Viscoelasticity Analysis
Cellular viscoelasticity is an important emerging biomarker of disease state and progression. The simplest way to define the viscoelastic properties of cells is to examine two parameters: stiffness and viscosity, which characterize the elastic and dissipative components of the cellular response to stress. The elastic response has been used as a biomarker for cancer cells or metastatic potential and has been associated with cell migration during embryogenesis.
- Atomic Force Microscope: AFM is used to directly manipulate and examine whole and subcellular responses, allowing a top-down and reconfiguration approach to mechanical characterization, and is used to specifically probe the elastic and inelastic response of individual cells undergoing deformation.
- Optical Laser Tweezers: The optical stretcher is a new laser tool capable of measuring cellular deformability. Rudimentary implementation of the microfluidic optical stretcher has been used to measure optical deformability of several normal and cancerous cell types.
- Pipette Suction: Micropipette aspiration can be used to study the mechanical behavior of live cells. Using this technique in conjunction with a continuous medium model allows quantitative values of the elastic and viscous properties of cells to be derived.
Relationship Between Cytoskeleton and Cell Viscoelasticity
Central to the ability of cells to move and generate stress is the cytoskeleton. The shear modulus of the cytoskeleton is thought to be dominated by F-actin and microtubules. Networks formed by intermediate filaments are softest among the cytoskeletal networks; however, they are capable of significantly more strain-stiffening behavior and are more resistant to breakage. Intermediate filaments such as vimentin, for example, can provide the cells with viscoelasticity and mechanical strength to withstand large and repetitive stresses without damage.
The vimentin provides viscoelasticity and mechanical strength to the cells [1].
Our Services
Research has shown that both internal and external physical forces can act through the cytoskeleton to affect local mechanical properties and cellular behavior. CD BioSciences has a well-established technology platform and sophisticated instrumentation to accurately measure the mechanical properties of cells.
- Somatic Cells Viscoelasticity Analysis
- Cancer Cells Viscoelasticity Analysis
We have extensive experience in cell mechanics' research; we have been focusing on providing a high-quality biomechanical research platform and providing our customers with various cell mechanical properties testing services. For more information about our services, please contact us.
Reference
- Swoger M, et al. Vimentin intermediate filaments mediate cell morphology on viscoelastic substrates[J]. ACS applied biomaterials, 2022, 5(2): 552-561.
For research use only. Not intended for any clinical use.
