1
|
Li M. Harnessing atomic force microscopy-based single-cell analysis to advance physical oncology. Microsc Res Tech 2024; 87:631-659. [PMID: 38053519 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.24467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
Single-cell analysis is an emerging and promising frontier in the field of life sciences, which is expected to facilitate the exploration of fundamental laws of physiological and pathological processes. Single-cell analysis allows experimental access to cell-to-cell heterogeneity to reveal the distinctive behaviors of individual cells, offering novel opportunities to dissect the complexity of severe human diseases such as cancers. Among the single-cell analysis tools, atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a powerful and versatile one which is able to nondestructively image the fine topographies and quantitatively measure multiple mechanical properties of single living cancer cells in their native states under aqueous conditions with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. Over the past few decades, AFM has been widely utilized to detect the structural and mechanical behaviors of individual cancer cells during the process of tumor formation, invasion, and metastasis, yielding numerous unique insights into tumor pathogenesis from the biomechanical perspective and contributing much to the field of cancer mechanobiology. Here, the achievements of AFM-based analysis of single cancer cells to advance physical oncology are comprehensively summarized, and challenges and future perspectives are also discussed. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Achievements of AFM in characterizing the structural and mechanical behaviors of single cancer cells are summarized, and future directions are discussed. AFM is not only capable of visualizing cellular fine structures, but can also measure multiple cellular mechanical properties as well as cell-generated mechanical forces. There is still plenty of room for harnessing AFM-based single-cell analysis to advance physical oncology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gonzalez-Rubio J, Le-Trilling VTK, Baumann L, Cheremkhina M, Kubiza H, Luengen AE, Reuter S, Taube C, Ruetten S, Duarte Campos D, Cornelissen CG, Trilling M, Thiebes AL. SARS-CoV-2 particles promote airway epithelial differentiation and ciliation. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1268782. [PMID: 38026867 PMCID: PMC10654538 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1268782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which caused the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, enters the human body via the epithelial cells of the airway tract. To trap and eject pathogens, the airway epithelium is composed of ciliated and secretory cells that produce mucus which is expelled through a process called mucociliary clearance. Methods: This study examines the early stages of contact between SARS-CoV-2 particles and the respiratory epithelium, utilizing 3D airway tri-culture models exposed to ultraviolet light-irradiated virus particles. These cultures are composed of human endothelial cells and human tracheal mesenchymal cells in a fibrin hydrogel matrix covered by mucociliated human tracheal epithelial cells. Results: We found that SARS-CoV-2 particles trigger a significant increase in ciliation on the epithelial surface instructed through a differentiation of club cells and basal stem cells. The contact with SARS-CoV-2 particles also provoked a loss of cell-cell tight junctions and impaired the barrier integrity. Further immunofluorescence analyses revealed an increase in FOXJ1 expression and PAK1/2 phosphorylation associated with particle-induced ciliation. Discussion: An understanding of epithelial responses to virus particles may be instrumental to prevent or treat respiratory infectious diseases such as COVID-19.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julian Gonzalez-Rubio
- Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex), AME—Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | | | - Lea Baumann
- Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex), AME—Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Maria Cheremkhina
- Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex), AME—Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Hannah Kubiza
- Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex), AME—Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Anja E. Luengen
- Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex), AME—Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, University Medical Center Essen—Ruhrlandklinik, Essen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Reuter
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, University Medical Center Essen—Ruhrlandklinik, Essen, Germany
| | - Christian Taube
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, University Medical Center Essen—Ruhrlandklinik, Essen, Germany
| | - Stephan Ruetten
- Institute of Pathology, Electron Microscopy Facility, RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Daniela Duarte Campos
- Bioprinting and Tissue Engineering Group, Center for Molecular Biology of Heidelberg University (ZMBH), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian G. Cornelissen
- Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex), AME—Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- Clinic for Pneumology and Internal Intensive Care Medicine (Medical Clinic V), RWTH Aachen University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - Mirko Trilling
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Anja Lena Thiebes
- Department of Biohybrid and Medical Textiles (BioTex), AME—Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|