1
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Chapman M, Rajagopal V, Stewart A, Collins DJ. Critical review of single-cell mechanotyping approaches for biomedical applications. LAB ON A CHIP 2024; 24:3036-3063. [PMID: 38804123 DOI: 10.1039/d3lc00978e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Accurate mechanical measurements of cells has the potential to improve diagnostics, therapeutics and advance understanding of disease mechanisms, where high-resolution mechanical information can be measured by deforming individual cells. Here we evaluate recently developed techniques for measuring cell-scale stiffness properties; while many such techniques have been developed, much of the work examining single-cell stiffness is impacted by difficulties in standardization and comparability, giving rise to large variations in reported mechanical moduli. We highlight the role of underlying mechanical theories driving this variability, and note opportunities to develop novel mechanotyping devices and theoretical models that facilitate convenient and accurate mechanical characterisation. Moreover, many high-throughput approaches are confounded by factors including cell size, surface friction, natural population heterogeneity and convolution of elastic and viscous contributions to cell deformability. We nevertheless identify key approaches based on deformability cytometry as a promising direction for further development, where both high-throughput and accurate single-cell resolutions can be realized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Chapman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Vijay Rajagopal
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Alastair Stewart
- ARC Centre for Personalised Therapeutics Technologies, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - David J Collins
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
- Graeme Clarke Institute University of Melbourne Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia
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2
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Siboni H, Ruseska I, Zimmer A. Atomic Force Microscopy for the Study of Cell Mechanics in Pharmaceutics. Pharmaceutics 2024; 16:733. [PMID: 38931854 PMCID: PMC11207904 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics16060733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/15/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell mechanics is gaining attraction in drug screening, but the applicable methods have not yet become part of the standardized norm. This review presents the current state of the art for atomic force microscopy, which is the most widely available method. The field is first motivated as a new way of tracking pharmaceutical effects, followed by a basic introduction targeted at pharmacists on how to measure cellular stiffness. The review then moves on to the current state of the knowledge in terms of experimental results and supplementary methods such as fluorescence microscopy that can give relevant additional information. Finally, rheological approaches as well as the theoretical interpretations are presented before ending on additional methods and outlooks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Siboni
- Pharmaceutical Technology & Biopharmacy, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria; (H.S.); (I.R.)
- Single Molecule Chemistry, Institute of Chemistry, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - Ivana Ruseska
- Pharmaceutical Technology & Biopharmacy, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria; (H.S.); (I.R.)
| | - Andreas Zimmer
- Pharmaceutical Technology & Biopharmacy, Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Graz, 8010 Graz, Austria; (H.S.); (I.R.)
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3
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Abarca-Ortega A, González-Bermúdez B, Plaza GR. Enhancing micropipette aspiration with artificial-intelligence analysis. Biophys J 2024:S0006-3495(24)00250-9. [PMID: 38600698 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The micropipette-aspiration technique is commonly used in the field of mechanobiology, offering a variety of measurement types. To extract biophysical parameters from the experiments, numerical analysis is required. Although previous works have developed techniques for the partial automation of these analyses, these approaches are relatively time consuming for the researchers. In this article, we describe the development and application of an artificial-intelligence tool for the completely automatic analysis of micropipette-aspiration experiments. The use of this tool is compared with previous methods and the impressive reduction in the time required for these analyses is discussed. The new tool opens new possibilities for the micropipette-aspiration technique by enabling dealing with large numbers of experiments and real-time measurements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldo Abarca-Ortega
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, USACH, Santiago de Chile, Chile; Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI de Caminos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alracón, Spain.
| | - Blanca González-Bermúdez
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI de Caminos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alracón, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico San Carlos, IdISSC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo R Plaza
- Departamento de Ciencia de Materiales, ETSI de Caminos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain; Centro de Tecnología Biomédica, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alracón, Spain; Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Hospital Clínico San Carlos, IdISSC, Madrid, Spain.
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4
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Storti F, Bonfadini S, Bondelli G, Vurro V, Lanzani G, Criante L. Photocell-Based Optofluidic Device for Clogging-Free Cell Transit Time Measurements. BIOSENSORS 2024; 14:154. [PMID: 38667147 PMCID: PMC11047832 DOI: 10.3390/bios14040154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Measuring the transit time of a cell forced through a bottleneck is one of the most widely used techniques for the study of cell deformability in flow. It in turn provides an accessible and rapid way of obtaining crucial information regarding cell physiology. Many techniques are currently being investigated to reliably retrieve this time, but their translation to diagnostic-oriented devices is often hampered by their complexity, lack of robustness, and the bulky external equipment required. Herein, we demonstrate the benefits of coupling microfluidics with an optical method, like photocells, to measure the transit time. We exploit the femtosecond laser irradiation followed by chemical etching (FLICE) fabrication technique to build a monolithic 3D device capable of detecting cells flowing through a 3D non-deformable constriction which is fully buried in a fused silica substrate. We validated our chip by measuring the transit times of pristine breast cancer cells (MCF-7) and MCF-7 cells treated with Latrunculin A, a drug typically used to increase their deformability. A difference in transit times can be assessed without the need for complex external instrumentation and/or demanding computational efforts. The high throughput (4000-10,000 cells/min), ease of use, and clogging-free operation of our device bring this approach much closer to real scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filippo Storti
- Centre for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Rubattino 81, 20134 Milano, Italy; (F.S.); (S.B.); (G.B.); (V.V.); (G.L.)
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Silvio Bonfadini
- Centre for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Rubattino 81, 20134 Milano, Italy; (F.S.); (S.B.); (G.B.); (V.V.); (G.L.)
| | - Gaia Bondelli
- Centre for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Rubattino 81, 20134 Milano, Italy; (F.S.); (S.B.); (G.B.); (V.V.); (G.L.)
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Vito Vurro
- Centre for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Rubattino 81, 20134 Milano, Italy; (F.S.); (S.B.); (G.B.); (V.V.); (G.L.)
| | - Guglielmo Lanzani
- Centre for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Rubattino 81, 20134 Milano, Italy; (F.S.); (S.B.); (G.B.); (V.V.); (G.L.)
- Dipartimento di Fisica, Politecnico di Milano, Piazza Leonardo da Vinci 32, 20133 Milano, Italy
| | - Luigino Criante
- Centre for Nano Science and Technology, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Via Rubattino 81, 20134 Milano, Italy; (F.S.); (S.B.); (G.B.); (V.V.); (G.L.)
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5
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Kecili S, Kaymaz SV, Ozogul B, Tekin HC, Elitas M. Investigating influences of intravenous fluids on HUVEC and U937 monocyte cell lines using the magnetic levitation method. Analyst 2023; 148:5588-5596. [PMID: 37872817 DOI: 10.1039/d3an01304a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Intravenous fluids are being widely used in patients of all ages for preventing or treating dehydration in the intensive care units, surgeries in the operation rooms, or administering chemotherapeutic drugs at hospitals. Dextrose, Ringer, and NaCl solutions are widely received as intravenous fluids by hospitalized patients. Despite their widespread administration for over 100 years, studies on their influences on different cell types have been very limited. Increasing evidence suggests that treatment outcomes might be altered by the choice of the administered intravenous fluids. In this study, we investigated the influences of intravenous fluids on human endothelial (HUVEC) and monocyte (U937) cell lines using the magnetic levitation technique. Our magnetic levitation platform provides label-free manipulation of single cells without altering their phenotypic or genetic properties. It allows for monitoring and quantifying behavior of single cells by measuring their levitation heights, deformation indices, and areas. Our results indicate that HUVEC and U937 cell lines respond differently to different intravenous fluids. Dextrose solution decreased the viability of both cell lines while increasing the heterogeneity of areas, deformation, and levitation heights of HUVEC cells. We strongly believe that improved outcomes can be achieved when the influences of intravenous fluids on different cell types are revealed using robust, label-free, and efficient methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seren Kecili
- Department of Bioengineering, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir 35430, Turkey.
| | - Sumeyra Vural Kaymaz
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Istanbul, 34956, Turkey.
| | - Beyzanur Ozogul
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Istanbul, 34956, Turkey.
| | - H Cumhur Tekin
- Department of Bioengineering, Izmir Institute of Technology, Izmir 35430, Turkey.
- METU MEMS Center, Ankara, 06530, Turkey
| | - Meltem Elitas
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Sabanci University, Istanbul, 34956, Turkey.
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6
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Di Carlo D. Rapid deformability cytometry for tissue biopsies. Nat Biomed Eng 2023; 7:1337-1339. [PMID: 37903902 DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01110-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Dino Di Carlo
- Departments of Bioengineering and Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
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7
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Ma R, Rashid SA, Velusamy A, Deal BR, Chen W, Petrich B, Li R, Salaita K. Molecular mechanocytometry using tension-activated cell tagging. Nat Methods 2023; 20:1666-1671. [PMID: 37798479 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-02030-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Flow cytometry is used routinely to measure single-cell gene expression by staining cells with fluorescent antibodies and nucleic acids. Here, we present tension-activated cell tagging (TaCT) to label cells fluorescently based on the magnitude of molecular force transmitted through cell adhesion receptors. As a proof-of-concept, we analyzed fibroblasts and mouse platelets after TaCT using conventional flow cytometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Ma
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | | | | | - Brendan R Deal
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Wenchun Chen
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Brian Petrich
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Renhao Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Khalid Salaita
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Emory University and Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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8
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Shalchi-Amirkhiz P, Bensch T, Proschmann U, Stock AK, Ziemssen T, Akgün K. Pilot study on the influence of acute alcohol exposure on biophysical parameters of leukocytes. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1243155. [PMID: 37614440 PMCID: PMC10442941 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1243155] [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: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: This pilot study explores the influence of acute alcohol exposure on cell mechanical properties of steady-state and activated leukocytes conducted with real-time deformability cytometry. Methods: Nineteen healthy male volunteers were enrolled to investigate the effect of binge drinking on biophysical properties and cell counts of peripheral blood leukocytes. Each participant consumed an individualized amount of alcohol to achieve a blood alcohol concentration of 1.2 ‰ as a mean peak. In addition, we also incubated whole blood samples from healthy donors with various ethanol concentrations and performed stimulation experiments using lipopolysaccharide and CytoStim™ in the presence of ethanol. Results: Our findings indicate that the biophysical properties of steady-state leukocytes are not significantly affected by a single episode of binge drinking within the first two hours. However, we observed significant alterations in relative cell counts and a shift toward a memory T cell phenotype. Moreover, exposure to ethanol during stimulation appears to inhibit the cytoskeleton reorganization of monocytes, as evidenced by a hindered increase in cell deformability. Conclusion: Our observations indicate the promising potential of cell mechanical analysis in understanding the influence of ethanol on immune cell functions. Nevertheless, additional investigations in this field are warranted to validate biophysical properties as biomarkers or prognostic indicators for alcohol-related changes in the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Puya Shalchi-Amirkhiz
- Multiple Sclerosis Center, Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Tristan Bensch
- Multiple Sclerosis Center, Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Undine Proschmann
- Multiple Sclerosis Center, Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Ann-Kathrin Stock
- Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine of the TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, School of Science, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Tjalf Ziemssen
- Multiple Sclerosis Center, Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Katja Akgün
- Multiple Sclerosis Center, Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
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9
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Dubay R, Darling EM, Fiering J. Microparticles with tunable, cell-like properties for quantitative acoustic mechanophenotyping. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2023; 9:90. [PMID: 37448969 PMCID: PMC10336031 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-023-00556-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical properties of biological cells have been shown to correlate with their biomolecular state and function, and therefore methods to measure these properties at scale are of interest. Emerging microfluidic technologies can measure the mechanical properties of cells at rates over 20,000 cells/s, which is more than four orders of magnitude faster than conventional instrumentation. However, precise and repeatable means to calibrate and test these new tools remain lacking, since cells themselves are by nature variable. Commonly, microfluidic tools use rigid polymer microspheres for calibration because they are widely available in cell-similar sizes, but conventional microspheres do not fully capture the physiological range of other mechanical properties that are equally important to device function (e.g., elastic modulus and density). Here, we present for the first time development of monodisperse polyacrylamide microparticles with both tunable elasticity and tunable density. Using these size, elasticity, and density tunable particles, we characterized a custom acoustic microfluidic device that makes single-cell measurements of mechanical properties. We then applied the approach to measure the distribution of the acoustic properties within samples of human leukocytes and showed that the system successfully discriminates lymphocytes from other leukocytes. This initial demonstration shows how the tunable microparticles with properties within the physiologically relevant range can be used in conjunction with microfluidic devices for efficient high-throughput measurements of mechanical properties at single-cell resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Dubay
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
- Biological Microsystems, Draper, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - Eric M. Darling
- Center for Biomedical Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
- School of Engineering, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
- Department of Orthopaedics, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912 USA
| | - Jason Fiering
- Biological Microsystems, Draper, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
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10
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Eder J, Schumm L, Armann JP, Puhan MA, Beuschlein F, Kirschbaum C, Berner R, Toepfner N. Increased red blood cell deformation in children and adolescents after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Sci Rep 2023; 13:9823. [PMID: 37330522 PMCID: PMC10276822 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35692-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with hyperinflammation, hypercoagulability and hypoxia. Red blood cells (RBCs) play a key role in microcirculation and hypoxemia and are therefore of special interest in COVID-19 pathophysiology. While this novel disease has claimed the lives of many older patients, it often goes unnoticed or with mild symptoms in children. This study aimed to investigate morphological and mechanical characteristics of RBCs after SARS-CoV-2 infection in children and adolescents by real-time deformability-cytometry (RT-DC), to investigate the relationship between alterations of RBCs and clinical course of COVID-19. Full blood of 121 students from secondary schools in Saxony, Germany, was analyzed. SARS-CoV-2-serostatus was acquired at the same time. Median RBC deformation was significantly increased in SARS-CoV-2-seropositive compared to seronegative children and adolescents, but no difference could be detected when the infection dated back more than 6 months. Median RBC area was the same in seropositive and seronegative adolescents. Our findings of increased median RBC deformation in SARS-CoV-2 seropositive children and adolescents until 6 months post COVID-19 could potentially serve as a progression parameter in the clinical course of the disease with an increased RBC deformation pointing towards a mild course of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Eder
- Biopsychology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Leonie Schumm
- Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital and Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jakob P Armann
- Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital and Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Milo A Puhan
- Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Prevention Institute, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Felix Beuschlein
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Clinical Nutrition, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Reinhard Berner
- Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital and Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nicole Toepfner
- Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital and Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
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11
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Wang H, Boardman J, Zhang X, Sun C, Cai M, Wei J, Dong Z, Feng M, Liang D, Hu S, Qian Y, Dong S, Fu Y, Torun H, Clayton A, Wu Z, Xie Z, Yang X. An enhanced tilted-angle acoustic tweezer for mechanical phenotyping of cancer cells. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1255:341120. [PMID: 37032048 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.341120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Acoustofluidic devices becomes one of the emerging and versatile tools for many biomedical applications. Most of the previous acoustofluidic devices are used for cells manipulation, and the few devices for cell phenotyping with a limitation in throughput. In this study, an enhanced tilted-angle (ETA) acoustofluidic device is developed and applied for mechanophenotyping of live cells. The ETA Device consists of an interdigital transducer which is positioned along a microfluidic channel. An inclination angle of 5° is introduced between the interdigital transducer and the liquid flow direction. The pressure nodes formed inside the acoustofluidic field in the channel deflect the biological cells from their original course in accordance with their mechanical properties, including volume, compressibility, and density. The threshold power for fully converging the cells to the pressure node is used to calculate the acoustic contrast factor. To demonstrate the ETA device in cell mechanophenotyping, and distinguishing between different cell types, further experimentation is carried out by using A549 (lung cancer cells), MDB-MA-231 (breast cancer cells), and leukocytes. The resulting acoustic contrast factors for the lung and breast cancer cells are different from that of the leukocytes by 27.9% and 21.5%, respectively. These results suggest this methodology can successfully distinguish and phenotype different cell types based on the acoustic contrast factor.
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12
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Lu N, Tay HM, Petchakup C, He L, Gong L, Maw KK, Leong SY, Lok WW, Ong HB, Guo R, Li KHH, Hou HW. Label-free microfluidic cell sorting and detection for rapid blood analysis. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:1226-1257. [PMID: 36655549 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00904h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Blood tests are considered as standard clinical procedures to screen for markers of diseases and health conditions. However, the complex cellular background (>99.9% RBCs) and biomolecular composition often pose significant technical challenges for accurate blood analysis. An emerging approach for point-of-care blood diagnostics is utilizing "label-free" microfluidic technologies that rely on intrinsic cell properties for blood fractionation and disease detection without any antibody binding. A growing body of clinical evidence has also reported that cellular dysfunction and their biophysical phenotypes are complementary to standard hematoanalyzer analysis (complete blood count) and can provide a more comprehensive health profiling. In this review, we will summarize recent advances in microfluidic label-free separation of different blood cell components including circulating tumor cells, leukocytes, platelets and nanoscale extracellular vesicles. Label-free single cell analysis of intrinsic cell morphology, spectrochemical properties, dielectric parameters and biophysical characteristics as novel blood-based biomarkers will also be presented. Next, we will highlight research efforts that combine label-free microfluidics with machine learning approaches to enhance detection sensitivity and specificity in clinical studies, as well as innovative microfluidic solutions which are capable of fully integrated and label-free blood cell sorting and analysis. Lastly, we will envisage the current challenges and future outlook of label-free microfluidics platforms for high throughput multi-dimensional blood cell analysis to identify non-traditional circulating biomarkers for clinical diagnostics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Lu
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
- HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, Nanyang Technological University, 65 Nanyang Drive, Block N3, 637460, Singapore
| | - Hui Min Tay
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Chayakorn Petchakup
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Linwei He
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Lingyan Gong
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Kay Khine Maw
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Sheng Yuan Leong
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Wan Wei Lok
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Hong Boon Ong
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
| | - Ruya Guo
- Key Laboratory of Agricultural Information Acquisition Technology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - King Ho Holden Li
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
- HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, Nanyang Technological University, 65 Nanyang Drive, Block N3, 637460, Singapore
| | - Han Wei Hou
- School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Blk N3, Level 2, Room 86 (N3-02c-86), 639798, Singapore.
- HP-NTU Digital Manufacturing Corporate Lab, Nanyang Technological University, 65 Nanyang Drive, Block N3, 637460, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, 11 Mandalay Road, Clinical Sciences Building, 308232, Singapore
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13
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Wang Z, Lu R, Wang W, Tian FB, Feng JJ, Sui Y. A computational model for the transit of a cancer cell through a constricted microchannel. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2023:10.1007/s10237-023-01705-6. [PMID: 36854992 PMCID: PMC10366299 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-023-01705-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
We propose a three-dimensional computational model to simulate the transient deformation of suspended cancer cells flowing through a constricted microchannel. We model the cell as a liquid droplet enclosed by a viscoelastic membrane, and its nucleus as a smaller stiffer capsule. The cell deformation and its interaction with the suspending fluid are solved through a well-tested immersed boundary lattice Boltzmann method. To identify a minimal mechanical model that can quantitatively predict the transient cell deformation in a constricted channel, we conduct extensive parametric studies of the effects of the rheology of the cell membrane, cytoplasm and nucleus and compare the results with a recent experiment conducted on human leukaemia cells. We find that excellent agreement with the experiment can be achieved by employing a viscoelastic cell membrane model with the membrane viscosity depending on its mode of deformation (shear versus elongation). The cell nucleus limits the overall deformation of the whole cell, and its effect increases with the nucleus size. The present computational model may be used to guide the design of microfluidic devices to sort cancer cells, or to inversely infer cell mechanical properties from their flow-induced deformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Wang
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - R Lu
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - W Wang
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK
| | - F B Tian
- School of Engineering and Information Technology, University of New South Wales, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| | - J J Feng
- Departments of Mathematics and Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z2, Canada
| | - Y Sui
- School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 4NS, UK.
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14
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Weber A, Vivanco MDM, Toca-Herrera JL. Application of self-organizing maps to AFM-based viscoelastic characterization of breast cancer cell mechanics. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3087. [PMID: 36813800 PMCID: PMC9947176 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-30156-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 02/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell mechanical properties have been proposed as label free markers for diagnostic purposes in diseases such as cancer. Cancer cells show altered mechanical phenotypes compared to their healthy counterparts. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a widely utilized tool to study cell mechanics. These measurements often need skilful users, physical modelling of mechanical properties and expertise in data interpretation. Together with the need to perform many measurements for statistical significance and to probe wide enough areas in tissue structures, the application of machine learning and artificial neural network techniques to automatically classify AFM datasets has received interest recently. We propose the use of self-organizing maps (SOMs) as unsupervised artificial neural network applied to mechanical measurements performed via AFM on epithelial breast cancer cells treated with different substances that affect estrogen receptor signalling. We show changes in mechanical properties due to treatments, as estrogen softened the cells, while resveratrol led to an increase in cell stiffness and viscosity. These data were then used as input for SOMs. Our approach was able to distinguish between estrogen treated, control and resveratrol treated cells in an unsupervised manner. In addition, the maps enabled investigation of the relationship of the input variables.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Weber
- Institute of Biophysics, Department of Bionanosciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - Maria dM Vivanco
- CIC bioGUNE, Basque Research and Technology Alliance, BRTA, Technological Park of Bizkaia, Derio, Spain
| | - José L Toca-Herrera
- Institute of Biophysics, Department of Bionanosciences, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria.
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15
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Maremonti MI, Dannhauser D, Panzetta V, Netti PA, Causa F. Cell deformability heterogeneity recognition by unsupervised machine learning from in-flow motion parameters. LAB ON A CHIP 2022; 22:4871-4881. [PMID: 36398860 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc00902a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Cell deformability is a well-established marker of cell states for diagnostic purposes. However, the measurement of a wide range of different deformability levels is still challenging, especially in cancer, where a large heterogeneity of rheological/mechanical properties is present. Therefore, a simple, versatile and cost-effective recognition method for variable rheological/mechanical properties of cells is needed. Here, we introduce a new set of in-flow motion parameters capable of identifying heterogeneity among cell deformability, properly modified by the administration of drugs for cytoskeleton destabilization. Firstly, we measured cell deformability by identification of in-flow motions, rolling (R), tumbling (T), swinging (S) and tank-treading (TT), distinctively associated with cell rheological/mechanical properties. Secondly, from a pool of motion and structural cell parameters, an unsupervised machine learning approach based on principal component analysis (PCA) revealed dominant features: the local cell velocity (VCell/VAvg), the equilibrium position (YEq) and the orientation angle variation (Δφ). These motion parameters clearly defined cell clusters in terms of motion regimes corresponding to specific deformability. Such correlation is verified in a wide range of rheological/mechanical properties from the elastic cells moving like R until the almost viscous cells moving as TT. Thus, our approach shows how simple motion parameters allow cell deformability heterogeneity recognition, directly measuring rheological/mechanical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Isabella Maremonti
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB) and Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy.
| | - David Dannhauser
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB) and Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy.
| | - Valeria Panzetta
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB) and Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy.
| | - Paolo Antonio Netti
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB) and Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy.
| | - Filippo Causa
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB) and Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy.
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16
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Lee S, Bashir KMI, Jung DH, Basu SK, Seo G, Cho MG, Wierschem A. Measuring the linear viscoelastic regime of MCF-7 cells with a monolayer rheometer in the presence of microtubule-active anti-cancer drugs at high concentrations. Interface Focus 2022; 12:20220036. [PMID: 36330318 PMCID: PMC9560786 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2022.0036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The rheological properties of cells have vital functional implications. Depending, for instance, on the life cycle, cells show large cell-to-cell variations making it cumbersome to quantify average viscoelastic properties of cells by single-cell techniques. Microfluidic devices, typically working in the nonlinear viscoelastic range, allow fast analysis of single-cell deformation. Averaging over a large number of cells can also be achieved by studying them in a monolayer between rheometer discs. This technique allows applying well-established rheological standard procedures to cell rheology. It offers further advantages like studying cells in the linear viscoelastic range while quantifying cell vitality. Here, we study the applicability of the technique to rather adverse conditions, like for microtubule-active anti-cancer drugs and for a cell line with large size variation. We found a strong impact of the gap width and of normal forces on the moduli and obtained high vitality levels during the rheological study. To enable studying the impact of microtubule-active drugs on vital cells at concentrations several orders of magnitude beyond the half maximal effective concentration for cytotoxicity, we arrested the cell cycle with hydroxyurea. Irrespective of the high concentrations, we observed no clear impact of the microtubule-active drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suhyang Lee
- German Engineering Research and Development Center, LSTME-Busan Branch, Gangseo-Gu, Busan 46742, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Cauerstr. 4, Erlangen 91058, Germany
| | | | - Dong Hee Jung
- German Engineering Research and Development Center, LSTME-Busan Branch, Gangseo-Gu, Busan 46742, Republic of Korea
- Division of Energy and Bioengineering, Dongseo University, Sasang-gu, Busan 47011, Republic of Korea
| | - Santanu Kumar Basu
- Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Cauerstr. 4, Erlangen 91058, Germany
| | - Gayeon Seo
- Division of Energy and Bioengineering, Dongseo University, Sasang-gu, Busan 47011, Republic of Korea
| | - Man-Gi Cho
- German Engineering Research and Development Center, LSTME-Busan Branch, Gangseo-Gu, Busan 46742, Republic of Korea
- Division of Energy and Bioengineering, Dongseo University, Sasang-gu, Busan 47011, Republic of Korea
| | - Andreas Wierschem
- German Engineering Research and Development Center, LSTME-Busan Branch, Gangseo-Gu, Busan 46742, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Cauerstr. 4, Erlangen 91058, Germany
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17
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González-Bermúdez B, Kobayashi H, Abarca-Ortega A, Córcoles-Lucas M, González-Sánchez M, De la Fuente M, Guinea GV, Elices M, Plaza GR. Aging is accompanied by T-cell stiffening and reduced interstitial migration through dysfunctional nuclear organization. Immunology 2022; 167:622-639. [PMID: 36054660 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Age-associated changes in T-cell function play a central role in immunosenescence. The role of aging in the decreased T-cell repertoire, primarily because of thymic involution, has been extensively studied. However, increasing evidence indicates that aging also modulates the mechanical properties of cells and the internal ordering of diverse cell components. Cellular functions are generally dictated by the biophysical phenotype of cells, which itself is also tightly regulated at the molecular level. Based on previous evidence suggesting that the relative nuclear size contributes to variations of T-cell stiffness, here we examined whether age-associated changes in T-cell migration are dictated by biophysical parameters, in part through nuclear cytoskeleton organization and cell deformability. In this study, we first performed longitudinal analyses of a repertoire of 111 functional, biophysical and biomolecular features of the nucleus and cytoskeleton of mice CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, in both naive and memory state. Focusing on the pairwise correlations, we found that age-related changes in nuclear architecture and internal ordering were correlated with T-cell stiffening and declined interstitial migration. A similarity analysis confirmed that cell-to-cell variation was a direct result of the aging process and we applied regression models to identify biomarkers that can accurately estimate individuals' age. Finally, we propose a biophysical model for a comprehensive understanding of the results: aging involves an evolution of the relative nuclear size, in part through DNA-hypomethylation and nuclear lamin B1, which implies an increased cell stiffness, thus inducing a decline in cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Blanca González-Bermúdez
- Center for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Materials Science, E.T.S.I. de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- IdISSC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Hikaru Kobayashi
- Department of Genetics, Physiology and Microbiology, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Aldo Abarca-Ortega
- Center for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Materials Science, E.T.S.I. de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Ingeniería Mecánica, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Miguel Córcoles-Lucas
- Center for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Materials Science, E.T.S.I. de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mónica González-Sánchez
- Department of Genetics, Physiology and Microbiology, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mónica De la Fuente
- Department of Genetics, Physiology and Microbiology, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo V Guinea
- Center for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Materials Science, E.T.S.I. de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- IdISSC, Madrid, Spain
- Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN), Madrid, Spain
| | - Manuel Elices
- Department of Materials Science, E.T.S.I. de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gustavo R Plaza
- Center for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Materials Science, E.T.S.I. de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- IdISSC, Madrid, Spain
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18
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Matei AE, Kubánková M, Xu L, Györfi AH, Boxberger E, Soteriou D, Papava M, Prater J, Hong X, Bergmann C, Kräter M, Schett G, Guck J, Distler JHW. Identification of a Distinct Monocyte-Driven Signature in Systemic Sclerosis Using Biophysical Phenotyping of Circulating Immune Cells. Arthritis Rheumatol 2022; 75:768-781. [PMID: 36281753 DOI: 10.1002/art.42394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Pathologically activated circulating immune cells, including monocytes, play major roles in systemic sclerosis (SSc). Their functional characterization can provide crucial information with direct clinical relevance. However, tools for the evaluation of pathologic immune cell activation and, in general, of clinical outcomes in SSc are scarce. Biophysical phenotyping (including characterization of cell mechanics and morphology) provides access to a novel, mostly unexplored layer of information regarding pathophysiologic immune cell activation. We hypothesized that the biophysical phenotyping of circulating immune cells, reflecting their pathologic activation, can be used as a clinical tool for the evaluation and risk stratification of patients with SSc. METHODS We performed biophysical phenotyping of circulating immune cells by real-time fluorescence and deformability cytometry (RT-FDC) in 63 SSc patients, 59 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, 28 antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis (AAV) patients, and 22 age- and sex-matched healthy donors. RESULTS We identified a specific signature of biophysical properties of circulating immune cells in SSc patients that was mainly driven by monocytes. Since it is absent in RA and AAV, this signature reflects an SSc-specific monocyte activation rather than general inflammation. The biophysical properties of monocytes indicate current disease activity, the extent of skin or lung fibrosis, and the severity of manifestations of microvascular damage, as well as the risk of disease progression in SSc patients. CONCLUSION Changes in the biophysical properties of circulating immune cells reflect their pathologic activation in SSc patients and are associated with clinical outcomes. As a high-throughput approach that requires minimal preparations, RT-FDC-based biophysical phenotyping of monocytes can serve as a tool for the evaluation and risk stratification of patients with SSc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandru-Emil Matei
- Department of Rheumatology and Hiller Research Unit, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty of Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany, and Department of Internal Medicine 3-Rheumatology and Immunology and Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Markéta Kubánková
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light & Max-Planck-Center für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany, and Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Liyan Xu
- Department of Rheumatology and Hiller Research Unit, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty of Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany, and Department of Internal Medicine 3-Rheumatology and Immunology and Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Andrea-Hermina Györfi
- Department of Rheumatology and Hiller Research Unit, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty of Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany, and Department of Internal Medicine 3-Rheumatology and Immunology and Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Evgenia Boxberger
- Department of Internal Medicine 3-Rheumatology and Immunology and Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Despina Soteriou
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light & Max-Planck-Center für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Maria Papava
- Department of Internal Medicine 3-Rheumatology and Immunology and Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Julia Prater
- Department of Internal Medicine 3-Rheumatology and Immunology and Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Xuezhi Hong
- Department of Rheumatology and Hiller Research Unit, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty of Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany, and Department of Internal Medicine 3-Rheumatology and Immunology and Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Christina Bergmann
- Department of Internal Medicine 3-Rheumatology and Immunology and Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Martin Kräter
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light & Max-Planck-Center für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany, and Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Georg Schett
- Department of Internal Medicine 3-Rheumatology and Immunology and Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jochen Guck
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light & Max-Planck-Center für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany, and Biotechnology Center, Center for Molecular and Cellular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Jörg H W Distler
- Department of Rheumatology and Hiller Research Unit, University Hospital Düsseldorf, Medical Faculty of Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany, and Department of Internal Medicine 3-Rheumatology and Immunology and Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie (DZI), Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), and Universitätsklinikum Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
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19
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Liang M, Zhong J, Ai Y. A Systematic Study of Size Correlation and Young's Modulus Sensitivity for Cellular Mechanical Phenotyping by Microfluidic Approaches. Adv Healthc Mater 2022; 11:e2200628. [PMID: 35852381 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202200628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Cellular mechanical properties are a class of intrinsic biophysical markers for cell state and health. Microfluidic mechanical phenotyping methods have emerged as promising tools to overcome the challenges of low throughput and high demand for manual skills in conventional approaches. In this work, two types of microfluidic cellular mechanical phenotyping methods, contactless hydro-stretching deformability cytometry (lh-DC) and contact constriction deformability cytometry (cc-DC) are comprehensively studied and compared. Polymerized hydrogel beads with defined sizes are used to characterize a strong negative correlation between size and deformability in cc-DC (r = -0.95), while lh-DC presents a weak positive correlation (r = 0.13). Young's modulus sensitivity in cc-DC is size-dependent while it is a constant in lh-DC. Moreover, the deformability assessment for human breast cell line mixture suggests the lh-DC exhibits better differentiation capability of cells with different size distributions, while cc-DC provides higher sensitivity to identify cellular mechanical changes within a single cell line. This work is the first to present a quantitative study and comparison of size correlation and Young's modulus sensitivity of contactless and contact microfluidic mechanical phenotyping methods, which provides guidance to choose the most suitable cellular mechanical phenotyping platform for specific cell analysis applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minhui Liang
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, Singapore, 487372, Singapore
| | - Jianwei Zhong
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, Singapore, 487372, Singapore
| | - Ye Ai
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, Singapore, 487372, Singapore
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20
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Szittner Z, Péter B, Kurunczi S, Székács I, Horváth R. Functional blood cell analysis by label-free biosensors and single-cell technologies. Adv Colloid Interface Sci 2022; 308:102727. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cis.2022.102727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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21
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Bashir KMI, Lee S, Jung DH, Basu SK, Cho MG, Wierschem A. Narrow-Gap Rheometry: A Novel Method for Measuring Cell Mechanics. Cells 2022; 11:cells11132010. [PMID: 35805094 PMCID: PMC9265971 DOI: 10.3390/cells11132010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The viscoelastic properties of a cell cytoskeleton contain abundant information about the state of a cell. Cells show a response to a specific environment or an administered drug through changes in their viscoelastic properties. Studies of single cells have shown that chemical agents that interact with the cytoskeleton can alter mechanical cell properties and suppress mitosis. This envisions using rheological measurements as a non-specific tool for drug development, the pharmacological screening of new drug agents, and to optimize dosage. Although there exists a number of sophisticated methods for studying mechanical properties of single cells, studying concentration dependencies is difficult and cumbersome with these methods: large cell-to-cell variations demand high repetition rates to obtain statistically significant data. Furthermore, method-induced changes in the cell mechanics cannot be excluded when working in a nonlinear viscoelastic range. To address these issues, we not only compared narrow-gap rheometry with commonly used single cell techniques, such as atomic force microscopy and microfluidic-based approaches, but we also compared existing cell monolayer studies used to estimate cell mechanical properties. This review provides insight for whether and how narrow-gap rheometer could be used as an efficient drug screening tool, which could further improve our current understanding of the mechanical issues present in the treatment of human diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Khawaja Muhammad Imran Bashir
- German Engineering Research and Development Center, LSTME-Busan Branch, Busan 46742, Korea; (K.M.I.B.); (S.L.); (D.H.J.); (M.-G.C.)
| | - Suhyang Lee
- German Engineering Research and Development Center, LSTME-Busan Branch, Busan 46742, Korea; (K.M.I.B.); (S.L.); (D.H.J.); (M.-G.C.)
- Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91058 Erlangen, Germany;
| | - Dong Hee Jung
- German Engineering Research and Development Center, LSTME-Busan Branch, Busan 46742, Korea; (K.M.I.B.); (S.L.); (D.H.J.); (M.-G.C.)
- Division of Energy and Bioengineering, Dongseo University, Busan 47011, Korea
| | - Santanu Kumar Basu
- Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91058 Erlangen, Germany;
| | - Man-Gi Cho
- German Engineering Research and Development Center, LSTME-Busan Branch, Busan 46742, Korea; (K.M.I.B.); (S.L.); (D.H.J.); (M.-G.C.)
- Division of Energy and Bioengineering, Dongseo University, Busan 47011, Korea
| | - Andreas Wierschem
- German Engineering Research and Development Center, LSTME-Busan Branch, Busan 46742, Korea; (K.M.I.B.); (S.L.); (D.H.J.); (M.-G.C.)
- Institute of Fluid Mechanics, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), 91058 Erlangen, Germany;
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-9131-85-29566
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22
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Li X, Jin Y, Shi J, Sun X, Ouyang Q, Luo C. A high throughput microfluidic system with large ranges of applied pressures for measuring the mechanical properties of single fixed cells and differentiated cells. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2022; 16:034102. [PMID: 35547183 PMCID: PMC9075862 DOI: 10.1063/5.0085876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The mechanical properties of cells are of great significance to their normal physiological activities. The current methods used for the measurement of a cell's mechanical properties have the problems of complicated operation, low throughput, and limited measuring range. Based on micropipette technology, we designed a double-layer micro-valve-controlled microfluidic chip with a series of micropipette arrays. The chip has adjustment pressure ranges of 0.03-1 and 0.3-10 kPa and has a pressure stabilization design, which can achieve a robust measurement of a single cell's mechanical properties under a wide pressure range and is simple to operate. Using this chip, we measured the mechanical properties of the cells treated with different concentrations of paraformaldehyde (PFA) and observed that the viscoelasticity of the cells gradually increased as the PFA concentration increased. Then, this method was also used to characterize the changes in the mechanical properties of the differentiation pathways of stem cells from the apical papilla to osteogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yiteng Jin
- Center for Quantitative Biology, Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Xiaoqiang Sun
- The Department of Endodontics, School of Stomatology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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23
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Esfahani AM, Minnick G, Rosenbohm J, Zhai H, Jin X, Tajvidi Safa B, Brooks J, Yang R. Microfabricated platforms to investigate cell mechanical properties. MEDICINE IN NOVEL TECHNOLOGY AND DEVICES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.medntd.2021.100107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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24
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Fregin B, Biedenweg D, Otto O. Interpretation of cell mechanical experiments in microfluidic systems depend on the choice of cellular shape descriptors. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2022; 16:024109. [PMID: 35541026 PMCID: PMC9054269 DOI: 10.1063/5.0084673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The capability to parameterize shapes is of essential importance in biomechanics to identify cells, to track their motion, and to quantify deformation. While various shape descriptors have already been investigated to study the morphology and migration of adherent cells, little is known of how the mathematical definition of a contour impacts the outcome of rheological experiments on cells in suspension. In microfluidic systems, hydrodynamic stress distributions induce time-dependent cell deformation that needs to be quantified to determine viscoelastic properties. Here, we compared nine different shape descriptors to characterize the deformation of suspended cells in an extensional as well as shear flow using dynamic real-time deformability cytometry. While stress relaxation depends on the amplitude and duration of stress, our results demonstrate that steady-state deformation can be predicted from single cell traces even for translocation times shorter than their characteristic time. Implementing an analytical simulation, performing experiments, and testing various data analysis strategies, we compared single cell and ensemble studies to address the question of computational costs vs experimental accuracy. Results indicate that high-throughput viscoelastic measurements of cells in suspension can be performed on an ensemble scale as long as the characteristic time matches the dimensions of the microfluidic system. Finally, we introduced a score to evaluate the shape descriptor-dependent effect size for cell deformation after cytoskeletal modifications. We provide evidence that single cell analysis in an extensional flow provides the highest sensitivity independent of shape parametrization, while inverse Haralick's circularity is mostly applicable to study cells in shear flow.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Oliver Otto
- Author to whom correspondence should be addressed:
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25
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Recktenwald SM, Simionato G, Lopes MGM, Gamboni F, Dzieciatkowska M, Meybohm P, Zacharowski K, von Knethen A, Wagner C, Kaestner L, D'Alessandro A, Quint S. Cross-talk between red blood cells and plasma influences blood flow and omics phenotypes in severe COVID-19. eLife 2022; 11:81316. [PMID: 36537079 PMCID: PMC9767455 DOI: 10.7554/elife.81316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and can affect multiple organs, among which is the circulatory system. Inflammation and mortality risk markers were previously detected in COVID-19 plasma and red blood cells (RBCs) metabolic and proteomic profiles. Additionally, biophysical properties, such as deformability, were found to be changed during the infection. Based on such data, we aim to better characterize RBC functions in COVID-19. We evaluate the flow properties of RBCs in severe COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit by using microfluidic techniques and automated methods, including artificial neural networks, for an unbiased RBC analysis. We find strong flow and RBC shape impairment in COVID-19 samples and demonstrate that such changes are reversible upon suspension of COVID-19 RBCs in healthy plasma. Vice versa, healthy RBCs resemble COVID-19 RBCs when suspended in COVID-19 plasma. Proteomics and metabolomics analyses allow us to detect the effect of plasma exchanges on both plasma and RBCs and demonstrate a new role of RBCs in maintaining plasma equilibria at the expense of their flow properties. Our findings provide a framework for further investigations of clinical relevance for therapies against COVID-19 and possibly other infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steffen M Recktenwald
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland UniversitySaarbrückenGermany
| | - Greta Simionato
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland UniversitySaarbrückenGermany,Institute for Clinical and Experimental Surgery, Campus University Hospital, Saarland UniversityHomburgGermany
| | - Marcelle GM Lopes
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland UniversitySaarbrückenGermany,Cysmic GmbHSaarbrückenGermany
| | - Fabia Gamboni
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado DenverAuroraUnited States
| | - Monika Dzieciatkowska
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado DenverAuroraUnited States
| | - Patrick Meybohm
- Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care, Emergency and Pain Medicine, University Hospital WuerzburgWuerzburgGermany
| | - Kai Zacharowski
- Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy, University Hospital FrankfurtFrankfurtGermany,Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMPFrankfurtGermany
| | - Andreas von Knethen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care Medicine and Pain Therapy, University Hospital FrankfurtFrankfurtGermany,Fraunhofer Institute for Translational Medicine and Pharmacology ITMPFrankfurtGermany
| | - Christian Wagner
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland UniversitySaarbrückenGermany,Department of Physics and Materials Science, University of LuxembourgLuxembourg CityLuxembourg
| | - Lars Kaestner
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland UniversitySaarbrückenGermany,Theoretical Medicine and Biosciences, Campus University Hospital, Saarland UniversityHomburgGermany
| | - Angelo D'Alessandro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado DenverAuroraUnited States
| | - Stephan Quint
- Dynamics of Fluids, Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland UniversitySaarbrückenGermany,Cysmic GmbHSaarbrückenGermany
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26
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Choi G, Tang Z, Guan W. Microfluidic high-throughput single-cell mechanotyping: Devices and
applications. NANOTECHNOLOGY AND PRECISION ENGINEERING 2021. [DOI: 10.1063/10.0006042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Gihoon Choi
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802,
USA
| | - Zifan Tang
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802,
USA
| | - Weihua Guan
- Department of Electrical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802,
USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802,
USA
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27
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A systematic approach for developing mechanistic models for realistic simulation of cancer cell motion and deformation. Sci Rep 2021; 11:21545. [PMID: 34732772 PMCID: PMC8566452 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00905-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding and predicting metastatic progression and developing novel diagnostic methods can highly benefit from accurate models of the deformability of cancer cells. Spring-based network models of cells can provide a versatile way of integrating deforming cancer cells with other physical and biochemical phenomena, but these models have parameters that need to be accurately identified. In this study we established a systematic method for identifying parameters of spring-network models of cancer cells. We developed a genetic algorithm and coupled it to the fluid-solid interaction model of the cell, immersed in blood plasma or other fluids, to minimize the difference between numerical and experimental data of cell motion and deformation. We used the method to create a validated model for the human lung cancer cell line (H1975), employing existing experimental data of its deformation in a narrow microchannel constriction considering cell-wall friction. Furthermore, using this validated model with accurately identified parameters, we studied the details of motion and deformation of the cancer cell in the microchannel constriction and the effects of flow rates on them. We found that ignoring the viscosity of the cell membrane and the friction between the cell and wall can introduce remarkable errors.
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28
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Terada M, Ide S, Naito T, Kimura N, Matsusaki M, Kaji N. Label-Free Cancer Stem-like Cell Assay Conducted at a Single Cell Level Using Microfluidic Mechanotyping Devices. Anal Chem 2021; 93:14409-14416. [PMID: 34628861 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.1c02316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The mechanical phenotype of cells is an intrinsic property of individual cells. In fact, this property could serve as a label-free, non-destructive, diagnostic marker of the state of cells owing to its remarkable translational potential. A microfluidic device is a strong candidate for meeting the demand of this translational research as it can be used to diagnose a large population of cells at a single cell level in a high-throughput manner, without the need for off-line pretreatment operations. In this study, we investigated the mechanical phenotype of the human colon adenocarcinoma cell, HT29, which is known to be a heterogeneous cell line with both multipotency and self-renewal abilities. This type of cancer stem-like cell (CSC) is believed to be the unique originators of all tumor cells and may serve as the leading cause of cancer metastasis and drug resistance. By combining consecutive constrictions and microchannels with an ionic current sensing system, we found a high heterogeneity of cell deformability in the population of HT29 cells. Moreover, based on the level of aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity and the expression level of CD44s, which are biochemical markers that suggest the multipotency of cells, the high heterogeneity of cell deformability was concluded to be a potential mechanical marker of CSCs. The development of label-free and non-destructive identification and collection techniques for CSCs has remarkable potential not only for cancer diagnosis and prognosis but also for the discovery of a new treatment for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miyu Terada
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Sachiko Ide
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Toyohiro Naito
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Niko Kimura
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Michiya Matsusaki
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka University, 2-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan
| | - Noritada Kaji
- Department of Applied Chemistry, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan.,Institute of Nano-Life-Systems, Institutes of Innovation for Future Society, Nagoya University, Nagoya 464-8603, Japan
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29
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Zheng X, Li Z, Li W, Zhu M, Zhang L, Zhu Z, Yang H. Biomechanical properties of erythrocytes circulating in artificial hearts measured by dielectrophoretic method. J Biomech 2021; 129:110822. [PMID: 34736085 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Blood damage is recognized as one of the major problems caused by non-physiological shear force induced by artificial hearts. At present, the generally accepted manifestation of mechanical blood damage is the amount of free hemoglobin released into the blood. However, there is little research on the changes of blood cell state after circulating in artificial hearts at the single-cell level. It is well known that the mechanical properties of cells are of enormous relevance in the regulation of cellular physiological and pathological processes. In this regard, it is highly needed to study the mechanical properties of blood cells affected by non-physiological shear force. In this paper, a dielectrophoresis-based method of measuring the mechanical properties of erythrocytes circulating in artificial hearts was proposed, which was quantified with some crucial parameters such as strain, elongation index (EI), and Young's modulus. Experimental results indicated that with the increase of the working time of artificial hearts, the deformability of erythrocytes decreased, the stiffness substantially increased, and the mechanical stability decreased, particularly at long exposure times. The proposed method provides a deep insight into the mechanism of subhemolytic damage at the single-cell level and has a great potential to serve as a new tool for in vitro evaluation of potential blood damage in artificial hearts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Zheng
- Medical College of Soochow University, China
| | - Zhiwei Li
- Robotics and Microsystems Center, School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Soochow University, China
| | - Wanting Li
- Robotics and Microsystems Center, School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Soochow University, China
| | - Mingjie Zhu
- Robotics and Microsystems Center, School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Soochow University, China
| | - Liudi Zhang
- Artificial Organ Technology Lab, School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Soochow University, China
| | - Zhenhong Zhu
- Children's Hospital of Soochow University, China.
| | - Hao Yang
- Robotics and Microsystems Center, School of Mechanical and Electric Engineering, Soochow University, China.
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30
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Zhou Z, Chen Y, Zhu S, Liu L, Ni Z, Xiang N. Inertial microfluidics for high-throughput cell analysis and detection: a review. Analyst 2021; 146:6064-6083. [PMID: 34490431 DOI: 10.1039/d1an00983d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Since it was first proposed in 2007, inertial microfluidics has been extensively studied in terms of theory, design, fabrication, and application. In recent years, with the rapid development of microfabrication technologies, a variety of channel structures that can focus, concentrate, separate, and capture bioparticles or fluids have been designed and manufactured to extend the range of potential biomedical applications of inertial microfluidics. Due to the advantages of high throughput, simplicity, and low device cost, inertial microfluidics is a promising candidate for rapid sample processing, especially for large-volume samples with low-abundance targets. As an approach to cellular sample pretreatment, inertial microfluidics has been widely employed to ensure downstream cell analysis and detection. In this review, a comprehensive summary of the application of inertial microfluidics for high-throughput cell analysis and detection is presented. According to application areas, the recent advances can be sorted into label-free cell mechanical phenotyping, sheathless flow cytometric counting, electrical impedance cytometer, high-throughput cellular image analysis, and other methods. Finally, the challenges and prospects of inertial microfluidics for cell analysis and detection are summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zheng Zhou
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
| | - Yao Chen
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
| | - Shu Zhu
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
| | - Linbo Liu
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
| | - Zhonghua Ni
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
| | - Nan Xiang
- School of Mechanical Engineering, and Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Design and Manufacture of Micro-Nano Biomedical Instruments, Southeast University, Nanjing, 211189, China.
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31
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Islam S, Boström KI, Di Carlo D, Simmons CA, Tintut Y, Yao Y, Hsu JJ. The Mechanobiology of Endothelial-to-Mesenchymal Transition in Cardiovascular Disease. Front Physiol 2021; 12:734215. [PMID: 34566697 PMCID: PMC8458763 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.734215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Endothelial cells (ECs) lining the cardiovascular system are subjected to a highly dynamic microenvironment resulting from pulsatile pressure and circulating blood flow. Endothelial cells are remarkably sensitive to these forces, which are transduced to activate signaling pathways to maintain endothelial homeostasis and respond to changes in the environment. Aberrations in these biomechanical stresses, however, can trigger changes in endothelial cell phenotype and function. One process involved in this cellular plasticity is endothelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EndMT). As a result of EndMT, ECs lose cell-cell adhesion, alter their cytoskeletal organization, and gain increased migratory and invasive capabilities. EndMT has long been known to occur during cardiovascular development, but there is now a growing body of evidence also implicating it in many cardiovascular diseases (CVD), often associated with alterations in the cellular mechanical environment. In this review, we highlight the emerging role of shear stress, cyclic strain, matrix stiffness, and composition associated with EndMT in CVD. We first provide an overview of EndMT and context for how ECs sense, transduce, and respond to certain mechanical stimuli. We then describe the biomechanical features of EndMT and the role of mechanically driven EndMT in CVD. Finally, we indicate areas of open investigation to further elucidate the complexity of EndMT in the cardiovascular system. Understanding the mechanistic underpinnings of the mechanobiology of EndMT in CVD can provide insight into new opportunities for identification of novel diagnostic markers and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahrin Islam
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Kristina I Boström
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,UCLA Molecular Biology Institute, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Dino Di Carlo
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Craig A Simmons
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Translational Biology and Engineering Program, Ted Rogers Centre for Heart Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yin Tintut
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Department of Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Yucheng Yao
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jeffrey J Hsu
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, United States.,Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, United States
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32
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Stone NE, Raj A, Young KM, DeLuca AP, Chrit FE, Tucker BA, Alexeev A, McDonald J, Benigno BB, Sulchek T. Label-free microfluidic enrichment of cancer cells from non-cancer cells in ascites. Sci Rep 2021; 11:18032. [PMID: 34504124 PMCID: PMC8429413 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-96862-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The isolation of a patient's metastatic cancer cells is the first, enabling step toward treatment of that patient using modern personalized medicine techniques. Whereas traditional standard-of-care approaches select treatments for cancer patients based on the histological classification of cancerous tissue at the time of diagnosis, personalized medicine techniques leverage molecular and functional analysis of a patient's own cancer cells to select treatments with the highest likelihood of being effective. Unfortunately, the pure populations of cancer cells required for these analyses can be difficult to acquire, given that metastatic cancer cells typically reside in fluid containing many different cell populations. Detection and analyses of cancer cells therefore require separation from these contaminating cells. Conventional cell sorting approaches such as Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting or Magnetic Activated Cell Sorting rely on the presence of distinct surface markers on cells of interest which may not be known nor exist for cancer applications. In this work, we present a microfluidic platform capable of label-free enrichment of tumor cells from the ascites fluid of ovarian cancer patients. This approach sorts cells based on differences in biomechanical properties, and therefore does not require any labeling or other pre-sort interference with the cells. The method is also useful in the cases when specific surface markers do not exist for cells of interest. In model ovarian cancer cell lines, the method was used to separate invasive subtypes from less invasive subtypes with an enrichment of ~ sixfold. In ascites specimens from ovarian cancer patients, we found the enrichment protocol resulted in an improved purity of P53 mutant cells indicative of the presence of ovarian cancer cells. We believe that this technology could enable the application of personalized medicine based on analysis of liquid biopsy patient specimens, such as ascites from ovarian cancer patients, for quick evaluation of metastatic disease progression and determination of patient-specific treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas E Stone
- The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Abhishek Raj
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Patna, Bihar, 801103, India
| | - Katherine M Young
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, 313 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0535, USA
| | - Adam P DeLuca
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Carver College of Medicine, Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Fatima Ezahra Chrit
- The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Budd A Tucker
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science, Carver College of Medicine, Institute for Vision Research, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
| | - Alexander Alexeev
- The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - John McDonald
- School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 313 Ferst Drive, Atlanta, GA, 30332-0405, USA
| | | | - Todd Sulchek
- The George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA.
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33
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Yan J, Xie C, Zhu J, Song Z, Wang Z, Li L. Effect of trypsin concentration on living SMCC-7721 cells studied by atomic force microscopy. J Microsc 2021; 284:203-213. [PMID: 34350998 DOI: 10.1111/jmi.13053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Trypsin is playing an important role in the processes of cancer proliferation, invasion and metastasis which require the precise information of morphology and mechanical properties on the nano-scale for the related research. In this work, living human hepatoma (SMCC-7721) cells were treated with different concentrations of trypsin solution. The morphology and mechanical properties of the cells were measured via atomic force microscope (AFM). Statistical analyses of measurement data indicated that with the increase of trypsin concentration, the average cell height and the surface roughness were both increased, but the cell viability, the cell surface adhesion and the elasticity modulus were decreased significantly. The force required to puncture the cells was also gradually reduced. It indicates that trypsin not only hydrolyses the proteins between the cell and the substrate but also the membrane proteins. The results offer valuable clues for the cancerous process study, pathological analysis and trypsin inhibitor drug development. And this work provides an effective way for overcoming the cell membrane in drug injection for cell-targeted therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Yan
- International Research Centre for Nano Handling and Manufacturing of China, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, China.,Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Cross-Scale Micro and Nano Manufacturing, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, China
| | - Chenchen Xie
- International Research Centre for Nano Handling and Manufacturing of China, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, China.,Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Cross-Scale Micro and Nano Manufacturing, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, China
| | - Jiajing Zhu
- International Research Centre for Nano Handling and Manufacturing of China, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, China.,Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Cross-Scale Micro and Nano Manufacturing, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, China.,School of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Zhengxun Song
- International Research Centre for Nano Handling and Manufacturing of China, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, China.,Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Cross-Scale Micro and Nano Manufacturing, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, China
| | - Zuobin Wang
- International Research Centre for Nano Handling and Manufacturing of China, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, China.,Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Cross-Scale Micro and Nano Manufacturing, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, China.,IRAC & JR3CN, University of Bedfordshire, Luton, UK
| | - Li Li
- International Research Centre for Nano Handling and Manufacturing of China, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, China.,Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Cross-Scale Micro and Nano Manufacturing, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun, China
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34
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Kubánková M, Hohberger B, Hoffmanns J, Fürst J, Herrmann M, Guck J, Kräter M. Physical phenotype of blood cells is altered in COVID-19. Biophys J 2021; 120:2838-2847. [PMID: 34087216 PMCID: PMC8169220 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical syndrome coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) induced by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 is characterized by rapid spreading and high mortality worldwide. Although the pathology is not yet fully understood, hyperinflammatory response and coagulation disorders leading to congestions of microvessels are considered to be key drivers of the still-increasing death toll. Until now, physical changes of blood cells have not been considered to play a role in COVID-19 related vascular occlusion and organ damage. Here, we report an evaluation of multiple physical parameters including the mechanical features of five frequent blood cell types, namely erythrocytes, lymphocytes, monocytes, neutrophils, and eosinophils. More than four million blood cells of 17 COVID-19 patients at different levels of severity, 24 volunteers free from infectious or inflammatory diseases, and 14 recovered COVID-19 patients were analyzed. We found significant changes in lymphocyte stiffness, monocyte size, neutrophil size and deformability, and heterogeneity of erythrocyte deformation and size. Although some of these changes recovered to normal values after hospitalization, others persisted for months after hospital discharge, evidencing the long-term imprint of COVID-19 on the body.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markéta Kubánková
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light & Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Bettina Hohberger
- Department of Ophthalmology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jakob Hoffmanns
- Department of Ophthalmology, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Julia Fürst
- Department of Internal Medicine 1, University Medical Center Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Martin Herrmann
- Department of Internal Medicine 3, University Medical Center Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany; Deutsches Zentrum Immuntherapie, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Jochen Guck
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light & Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany; Department of Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Martin Kräter
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light & Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin, Erlangen, Germany
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35
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Ryu H, Park Y, Luan H, Dalgin G, Jeffris K, Yoon HJ, Chung TS, Kim JU, Kwak SS, Lee G, Jeong H, Kim J, Bai W, Kim J, Jung YH, Tryba AK, Song JW, Huang Y, Philipson LH, Finan JD, Rogers JA. Transparent, Compliant 3D Mesostructures for Precise Evaluation of Mechanical Characteristics of Organoids. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2021; 33:e2100026. [PMID: 33984170 PMCID: PMC8719419 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202100026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2021] [Revised: 03/06/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
Recently developed methods for transforming 2D patterns of thin-film materials into 3D mesostructures create many interesting opportunities in microsystems design. A growing area of interest is in multifunctional thermal, electrical, chemical, and optical interfaces to biological tissues, particularly 3D multicellular, millimeter-scale constructs, such as spheroids, assembloids, and organoids. Herein, examples of 3D mechanical interfaces are presented, in which thin ribbons of parylene-C form the basis of transparent, highly compliant frameworks that can be reversibly opened and closed to capture, envelop, and mechanically restrain fragile 3D tissues in a gentle, nondestructive manner, for precise measurements of viscoelastic properties using techniques in nanoindentation. Finite element analysis serves as a design tool to guide selection of geometries and material parameters for shape-matching 3D architectures tailored to organoids of interest. These computational approaches also quantitate all aspects of deformations during the processes of opening and closing the structures and of forces imparted by them onto the surfaces of enclosed soft tissues. Studies of cerebral organoids by nanoindentation show effective Young's moduli in the range from 1.5 to 2.5 kPa depending on the age of the organoid. This collection of results suggests broad utility of compliant 3D mesostructures in noninvasive mechanical measurements of millimeter-scale, soft biological tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanjun Ryu
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Yoonseok Park
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Haiwen Luan
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Gokhan Dalgin
- Section of Adult and Pediatric Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Kovler Diabetes Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Kira Jeffris
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - Hong-Joon Yoon
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Ted S Chung
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Jong Uk Kim
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- School of Chemical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Sung Soo Kwak
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Geumbee Lee
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Hyoyoung Jeong
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Jihye Kim
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- School of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University (SKKU), Suwon, 16419, Republic of Korea
| | - Wubin Bai
- Department of Applied Physical Sciences, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Joohee Kim
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Yei Hwan Jung
- Department of Electronic Engineering Hanyang University, Seoul, 04763, Republic of Korea
| | - Andrew K Tryba
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Section of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Joseph W Song
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Center for Bio-Integrated Electronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Yonggang Huang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
| | - Louis H Philipson
- Department of Medicine and Kovler Diabetes Center, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - John D Finan
- Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60607, USA
| | - John A Rogers
- Querrey Simpson Institute for Bioelectronics, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA
- Departments of Neurological Surgery, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA
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36
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Li M, Xi N, Liu L. Peak force tapping atomic force microscopy for advancing cell and molecular biology. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:8358-8375. [PMID: 33913463 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr01303c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The advent of atomic force microscopy (AFM) provides an exciting tool to detect molecular and cellular behaviors under aqueous conditions. AFM is able to not only visualize the surface topography of the specimens, but also can quantify the mechanical properties of the specimens by force spectroscopy assay. Nevertheless, integrating AFM topographic imaging with force spectroscopy assay has long been limited due to the low spatiotemporal resolution. In recent years, the appearance of a new AFM imaging mode called peak force tapping (PFT) has shattered this limit. PFT allows AFM to simultaneously acquire the topography and mechanical properties of biological samples with unprecedented spatiotemporal resolution. The practical applications of PFT in the field of life sciences in the past decade have demonstrated the excellent capabilities of PFT in characterizing the fine structures and mechanics of living biological systems in their native states, offering novel possibilities to reveal the underlying mechanisms guiding physiological/pathological activities. In this paper, the recent progress in cell and molecular biology that has been made with the utilization of PFT is summarized, and future perspectives for further progression and biomedical applications of PFT are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mi Li
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China and Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110169, China and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Ning Xi
- Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Systems Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Lianqing Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Robotics, Shenyang Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China and Institutes for Robotics and Intelligent Manufacturing, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110169, China and University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
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37
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Sheng JY, Mo C, Li GY, Zhao HC, Cao Y, Feng XQ. AFM-based indentation method for measuring the relaxation property of living cells. J Biomech 2021; 122:110444. [PMID: 33933864 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2020] [Revised: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Probing the mechanical properties of cells is critical for understanding their deformation behaviors and biological functions. Although some methods have been proposed to characterize the elastic properties of cells, it is still difficult to measure their time-dependent properties. This paper investigates the use of atomic force microscope (AFM) to determine the reduced relaxation modulus of cells. In principle, AFM is hard to perform an indentation relaxation test that requires a constant indenter displacement during load relaxation, whereas the real AFM indenter displacement usually varies with time during relaxation due to the relatively small bending stiffness of its cantilever. We investigate this issue through a combined theoretical, computational, and experimental effort. A protocol relying on the choice of appropriate cantilever bending stiffness is proposed to perform an AFM-based indentation relaxation test of cells, which enables the measurement of reduced relaxation modulus with high accuracy. This protocol is first validated by performing nanoindentation relaxation tests on a soft material and by comparing the results with those from independent measurements. Then indentation tests of cartilage cells are conducted to demonstrate this method in determining time-dependent properties of living cells. Finally, the change in the viscoelasticity of MCF-7 cells under hyperthermia is investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Yuan Sheng
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, AML, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Chi Mo
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, AML, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Guo-Yang Li
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, AML, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Hu-Cheng Zhao
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, AML, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China
| | - Yanping Cao
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, AML, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China.
| | - Xi-Qiao Feng
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, AML, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, PR China.
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38
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Li Y, Liu X, Huang Q, Ohta AT, Arai T. Bubbles in microfluidics: an all-purpose tool for micromanipulation. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:1016-1035. [PMID: 33538756 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc01173h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, the integration of microfluidic devices and multiple actuation technologies at the microscale has greatly contributed to the progress of related fields. In particular, microbubbles are playing an increasingly important role in microfluidics because of their unique characteristics that lead to specific responses to different energy sources and gas-liquid interactions. Many effective and functional bubble-based micromanipulation strategies have been developed and improved, enabling various non-invasive, selective, and precise operations at the microscale. This review begins with a brief introduction of the morphological characteristics and formation of microbubbles. The theoretical foundations and working mechanisms of typical micromanipulations based on acoustic, thermodynamic, and chemical microbubbles in fluids are described. We critically review the extensive applications and the frontline advances of bubbles in microfluidics, including microflow patterns, position and orientation control, biomedical applications, and development of bubble-based microrobots. We lastly present an outlook to provide directions for the design and application of microbubble-based micromanipulation tools and attract the attention of relevant researchers to the enormous potential of microbubbles in microfluidics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuyang Li
- Key Laboratory of Biomimetic Robots and Systems, Ministry of Education, State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Control and Decision of Complex System, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Intelligent Robots and Systems, School of Mechatronical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China.
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39
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Moradi M, Nazockdast E. Cell nucleus as a microrheological probe to study the rheology of the cytoskeleton. Biophys J 2021; 120:1542-1564. [PMID: 33705756 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.01.042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Revised: 12/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Mechanical properties of the cell are important biomarkers for probing its architectural changes caused by cellular processes and/or pathologies. The development of microfluidic technologies has enabled measuring the cell's mechanical properties at high throughput so that mechanical phenotyping can be applied to large samples in reasonable timescales. These studies typically measure the stiffness of the cell as the only mechanical biomarker and do not disentangle the rheological contributions of different structural components of the cell, including the cell cortex, the interior cytoplasm and its immersed cytoskeletal structures, and the nucleus. Recent advancements in high-speed fluorescent imaging have enabled probing the deformations of the cell cortex while also tracking different intracellular components in rates applicable to microfluidic platforms. We present a, to our knowledge, novel method to decouple the mechanics of the cell cortex and the cytoplasm by analyzing the correlation between the cortical deformations that are induced by external microfluidic flows and the nucleus displacements, induced by those cortical deformations, i.e., we use the nucleus as a high-throughput microrheological probe to study the rheology of the cytoplasm, independent of the cell cortex mechanics. To demonstrate the applicability of this method, we consider a proof-of-concept model consisting of a rigid spherical nucleus centered in a spherical cell. We obtain analytical expressions for the time-dependent nucleus velocity as a function of the cell deformations when the interior cytoplasm is modeled as a viscous, viscoelastic, porous, and poroelastic material and demonstrate how the nucleus velocity can be used to characterize the linear rheology of the cytoplasm over a wide range of forces and timescales/frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moslem Moradi
- UNC Chapel Hill, Applied Physical Sciences, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Ehssan Nazockdast
- UNC Chapel Hill, Applied Physical Sciences, Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
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40
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Liang M, Yang D, Zhou Y, Li P, Zhong J, Ai Y. Single-Cell Stretching in Viscoelastic Fluids with Electronically Triggered Imaging for Cellular Mechanical Phenotyping. Anal Chem 2021; 93:4567-4575. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c05009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Minhui Liang
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, 487372 Singapore
| | - Dahou Yang
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, 487372 Singapore
| | - Yinning Zhou
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, 487372 Singapore
| | - Peixian Li
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, 487372 Singapore
| | - Jianwei Zhong
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, 487372 Singapore
| | - Ye Ai
- Pillar of Engineering Product Development, Singapore University of Technology and Design, 8 Somapah Road, 487372 Singapore
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41
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Tavassoli H, Rorimpandey P, Kang YC, Carnell M, Brownlee C, Pimanda JE, Chan PPY, Chandrakanthan V. Label-Free Isolation and Single Cell Biophysical Phenotyping Analysis of Primary Cardiomyocytes Using Inertial Microfluidics. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2021; 17:e2006176. [PMID: 33369875 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202006176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
To advance the understanding of cardiomyocyte (CM) identity and function, appropriate tools to isolate pure primary CMs are needed. A label-free method to purify viable CMs from mouse neonatal hearts is developed using a simple particle size-based inertial microfluidics biochip achieving purities of over 90%. Purified CMs are viable and retained their identity and function as depicted by the expression of cardiac-specific markers and contractility. The physico-mechanical properties of sorted cells are evaluated using downstream real-time deformability cytometry. CMs exhibited different physico-mechanical properties when compared with non-CMs. Taken together, this CM isolation and phenotyping method could serve as a valuable tool to progress the understanding of CM identity and function, and ultimately benefit cell therapy and diagnostic applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hossein Tavassoli
- Department of Telecommunications, Electrical, Robotics and Biomedical Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122, Australia
- Department of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Prunella Rorimpandey
- Department of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Young Chan Kang
- Department of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Michael Carnell
- Biomedical Imaging Facility, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Chris Brownlee
- Flow Cytometry Facility, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - John E Pimanda
- Department of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Prince of Wales Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Department of Haematology, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Peggy P Y Chan
- Department of Telecommunications, Electrical, Robotics and Biomedical Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122, Australia
| | - Vashe Chandrakanthan
- Department of Pathology, School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
- Adult Cancer Program, Lowy Cancer Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
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42
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Bakhshandeh S, Taïeb HM, Schlüßler R, Kim K, Beck T, Taubenberger A, Guck J, Cipitria A. Optical quantification of intracellular mass density and cell mechanics in 3D mechanical confinement. SOFT MATTER 2021; 17:853-862. [PMID: 33232425 DOI: 10.1039/d0sm01556c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Biophysical properties of cells such as intracellular mass density and cell mechanics are known to be involved in a wide range of homeostatic functions and pathological alterations. An optical readout that can be used to quantify such properties is the refractive index (RI) distribution. It has been recently reported that the nucleus, initially presumed to be the organelle with the highest dry mass density (ρ) within the cell, has in fact a lower RI and ρ than its surrounding cytoplasm. These studies have either been conducted in suspended cells, or cells adhered on 2D substrates, neither of which reflects the situation in vivo where cells are surrounded by the extracellular matrix (ECM). To better approximate the 3D situation, we encapsulated cells in 3D covalently-crosslinked alginate hydrogels with varying stiffness, and imaged the 3D RI distribution of cells, using a combined optical diffraction tomography (ODT)-epifluorescence microscope. Unexpectedly, the nuclei of cells in 3D displayed a higher ρ than the cytoplasm, in contrast to 2D cultures. Using a Brillouin-epifluorescence microscope we subsequently showed that in addition to higher ρ, the nuclei also had a higher longitudinal modulus (M) and viscosity (η) compared to the cytoplasm. Furthermore, increasing the stiffness of the hydrogel resulted in higher M for both the nuclei and cytoplasm of cells in stiff 3D alginate compared to cells in compliant 3D alginate. The ability to quantify intracellular biophysical properties with non-invasive techniques will improve our understanding of biological processes such as dormancy, apoptosis, cell growth or stem cell differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadra Bakhshandeh
- Department of Biomaterials, Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Potsdam, Germany.
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43
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Fajrial AK, Liu K, Gao Y, Gu J, Lakerveld R, Ding X. Characterization of Single-Cell Osmotic Swelling Dynamics for New Physical Biomarkers. Anal Chem 2021; 93:1317-1325. [PMID: 33253534 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.0c02289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Characterization of cell physical biomarkers is vital to understand cell properties and applicable for disease diagnostics. Current methods used to analyze physical phenotypes involve external forces to deform the cells. Alternatively, internal tension forces via osmotic swelling can also deform the cells. However, an established assumption contends that the forces generated during hypotonic swelling concentrated on the plasma membrane are incapable of assessing the physical properties of nucleated cells. Here, we utilized an osmotic swelling approach to characterize different types of nucleated cells. Using a microfluidic device for cell trapping arrays with truncated hanging micropillars (CellHangars), we isolated single cells and evaluated the swelling dynamics during the hypotonic challenge at 1 s time resolution. We demonstrated that cells with different mechanical phenotypes showed unique swelling dynamics signature. Different types of cells can be classified with an accuracy of up to ∼99%. We also showed that swelling dynamics can detect cellular mechanical property changes due to cytoskeleton disruption. Considering its simplicity, swelling dynamics offers an invaluable label-free physical biomarker for cells with potential applications in both biological studies and clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Apresio K Fajrial
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 1111 Engineering Drive, UCB 427, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Kun Liu
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 1111 Engineering Drive, UCB 427, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Yu Gao
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 1111 Engineering Drive, UCB 427, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
| | - Junhao Gu
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Richard Lakerveld
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaoyun Ding
- Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, 1111 Engineering Drive, UCB 427, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States.,Biomedical Engineering Program, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado 80309, United States
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44
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Honrado C, Bisegna P, Swami NS, Caselli F. Single-cell microfluidic impedance cytometry: from raw signals to cell phenotypes using data analytics. LAB ON A CHIP 2021; 21:22-54. [PMID: 33331376 PMCID: PMC7909465 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00840k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The biophysical analysis of single-cells by microfluidic impedance cytometry is emerging as a label-free and high-throughput means to stratify the heterogeneity of cellular systems based on their electrophysiology. Emerging applications range from fundamental life-science and drug assessment research to point-of-care diagnostics and precision medicine. Recently, novel chip designs and data analytic strategies are laying the foundation for multiparametric cell characterization and subpopulation distinction, which are essential to understand biological function, follow disease progression and monitor cell behaviour in microsystems. In this tutorial review, we present a comparative survey of the approaches to elucidate cellular and subcellular features from impedance cytometry data, covering the related subjects of device design, data analytics (i.e., signal processing, dielectric modelling, population clustering), and phenotyping applications. We give special emphasis to the exciting recent developments of the technique (timeframe 2017-2020) and provide our perspective on future challenges and directions. Its synergistic application with microfluidic separation, sensor science and machine learning can form an essential toolkit for label-free quantification and isolation of subpopulations to stratify heterogeneous biosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Honrado
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904, USA.
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45
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Dannhauser D, Maremonti MI, Panzetta V, Rossi D, Netti PA, Causa F. Mechanical phenotyping of breast cell lines by in-flow deformation-dependent dynamics under tuneable compressive forces. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:4611-4622. [PMID: 33146642 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00911c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Cell mechanical properties are powerful biomarkers for label-free phenotyping. To date, microfluidic approaches assay mechanical properties by measuring changes in cellular shape, applying extensional or shear flows or forcing cells to pass through constrictions. In general, such approaches use high-speed imaging or transit time measurements to evaluate cell deformation, while cell dynamics in-flow after stress imposition have not yet been considered. Here, we present a microfluidic approach to apply, over a wide range, tuneable compressive forces on suspended cells, which result in well distinct signatures of deformation-dependent dynamic motions. By properly conceiving microfluidic chip geometry and rheological fluid properties, we modulate applied single-cell forces, which result in different motion regimes (rolling, tumbling or tank-treating) depending on the investigated cell line. We decided to prove our approach by testing breast cell lines, with well-known mechanical properties. We measured a set of in-flow parameters (orientation angle, aspect ratio, cell deformation and cell diameter) as a backward analysis of cell mechanical response. By such an approach, we report that the highly invasive tumour cells (MDA-MB-231) are much more deformable (6-times higher) than healthy (MCF-10A) and low invasive ones (MCF-7). Thus, we demonstrate that a microfluidic design with tuneable rheological fluid properties and direct analysis of bright-field images can be suitable for the label-free mechanical phenotyping of various cell lines.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Dannhauser
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB), Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy.
| | - Maria Isabella Maremonti
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB), Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy.
| | - Valeria Panzetta
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB), Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy.
| | - Domenico Rossi
- Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare@CRIB, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci 53, 80125 Naples, Italy
| | - Paolo Antonio Netti
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB), Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy. and Center for Advanced Biomaterials for Healthcare@CRIB, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Largo Barsanti e Matteucci 53, 80125 Naples, Italy
| | - Filippo Causa
- Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Biomaterials (CRIB), Dipartimento di Ingegneria Chimica, dei Materiali e della Produzione Industriale, Università degli Studi di Napoli "Federico II", Piazzale Tecchio 80, 80125 Naples, Italy.
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46
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Ju T, Wang S, Wang J, Yang F, Song Z, Xu H, Chen Y, Zhang J, Wang Z. A study on the effects of tumor-derived exosomes on hepatoma cells and hepatocytes by atomic force microscopy. ANALYTICAL METHODS : ADVANCING METHODS AND APPLICATIONS 2020; 12:5458-5467. [PMID: 33135693 DOI: 10.1039/d0ay01730b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Tumor-derived exosomes (exos) are closely related to the occurrence, development and treatment of tumors. However, it is not clear how the exosomes affect the physical properties, which lead to the deterioration of the target cells. In this paper, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to study the effects of exosomes in HCC-LM3 cells and other cells (SMMC-7721 and HL-7702). The results showed that the HCC-LM3-exos (the exosomes secreted by HCC-LM3 cells, 50 μg mL-1) significantly promoted the proliferation and migration of HCC-LM3 cells. HCC-LM3-exos also promoted the proliferation and migration of SMMC-7721 and HL-7702 cells at 1000 and 1500 μg mL-1, respectively. With an increase in time and concentration, the proliferation effect was more significant. On comparing the mechanical properties of the three types of cells (HCC-LM3, SMMC-7721 and HL-7702 cells), the degradation degree and migration ability of the cells were from high to low in the above order. In turn, the surface roughness of the cells decreased, and adhesion and elastic modulus increased. With an increase in treatment time, surface roughness increased, while adhesion and elastic modulus decreased. These suggested that the HCC-LM3-exos could change the mechanical properties of cells, leading to their deterioration, and enhance their migration and invasion ability. In this paper, the effects of exosomes were analyzed from the perspective of the physical parameters of cells, which provide a new idea to study cancer metastasis and prognosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tuoyu Ju
- International Research Centre for Nano Handling and Manufacturing of China, Changchun University of Science and Technology, Changchun 130022, China.
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LncRNA LINC00472 regulates cell stiffness and inhibits the migration and invasion of lung adenocarcinoma by binding to YBX1. Cell Death Dis 2020; 11:945. [PMID: 33144579 PMCID: PMC7609609 DOI: 10.1038/s41419-020-03147-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 10/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play important roles in human tumorigenesis. By using publicly available expression profiling data from lung adenocarcinoma and integrating bioinformatics analysis, we screened a lncRNA, LINC00472. LINC00472 expression in lung adenocarcinoma tissues was significantly lower and tightly associated with patient prognosis and TNM clinical stages in lung adenocarcinoma. LINC00472 also inhibited lung adenocarcinoma cell migration and invasion and increased cell stiffness and adhesion. RNA pull down and RIP assays identified that LINC00472 interacted with the transcription factor Y-box binding protein 1 (YBX1), which partially reversed the inhibition of cell migration and invasion and increased LINC00472-induced cell stiffness and adhesion. LINC00472 also regulated the density and integrity of F-actin in A549 and PC-9 cells possibly via YBX1. LINC00472 inhibited the cell epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) processes via the modulation of YBX1. These results indicated that LINC00472 inhibited the cell EMT process by binding to YBX1, and affected the mechanical properties of the cell, ultimately inhibited its ability to invade and metastasize. Collectively, the present study provides the first evidence that LINC00472 changes the mechanical properties and inhibits the invasion and metastasis of lung adenocarcinoma cells.
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Piergiovanni M, Galli V, Holzner G, Stavrakis S, DeMello A, Dubini G. Deformation of leukaemia cell lines in hyperbolic microchannels: investigating the role of shear and extensional components. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:2539-2548. [PMID: 32567621 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00166j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The mechanical properties of cells are of enormous interest in a diverse range of physio and pathological situations of clinical relevance. Unsurprisingly, a variety of microfluidic platforms have been developed in recent years to study the deformability of cells, most commonly employing pure shear or extensional flows, with and without direct contact of the cells with channel walls. Herein, we investigate the effects of shear and extensional flow components on fluid-induced cell deformation by means of three microchannel geometries. In the case of hyperbolic microchannels, cell deformation takes place in a flow with constant extensional rate, under non-zero shear conditions. A sudden expansion at the microchannel terminus allows one to evaluate shape recovery subsequent to deformation. Comparison with other microchannel shapes, that induce either pure shear (straight channel) or pure extensional (cross channel) flows, reveals different deformation modes. Such an analysis is used to confirm the softening and stiffening effects of common treatments, such as cytochalasin D and formalin on cell deformability. In addition to an experimental analysis of leukaemia cell deformability, computational fluid dynamic simulations are used to deconvolve the role of the aforementioned flow components in the cell deformation dynamics. In general terms, the current study can be used as a guide for extracting deformation/recovery dynamics of leukaemia cell lines when exposed to various fluid dynamic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Piergiovanni
- Laboratory of Biological Structure Mechanics (LaBS), Department of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering "Giulio Natta", Politecnico di Milano, piazza Leonardo da Vinci, 32 - 20133 Milan, Italy.
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Dubay R, Fiering J, Darling EM. Effect of elastic modulus on inertial displacement of cell-like particles in microchannels. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2020; 14:044110. [PMID: 32774585 PMCID: PMC7402708 DOI: 10.1063/5.0017770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Label-free microfluidic-based cell sorters leverage innate differences among cells (e.g., size and stiffness), to separate one cell type from another. This sorting step is crucial for many cell-based applications. Polystyrene-based microparticles (MPs) are the current gold standard for calibrating flow-based cell sorters and analyzers; however, the deformation behavior of these rigid materials is drastically different from that of living cells. Given this discrepancy in stiffness, an alternative calibration particle that better reflects cell elasticity is needed for the optimization of new and existing microfluidic devices. Here, we describe the fabrication of cell-like, mechanically tunable MPs and demonstrate their utility in quantifying differences in inertial displacement within a microfluidic constriction device as a function of particle elastic modulus, for the first time. Monodisperse, fluorescent, cell-like microparticles that replicate the size and modulus of living cells were fabricated from polyacrylamide within a microfluidic droplet generator and characterized via optical and atomic force microscopy. Trajectories of our cell-like MPs were mapped within the constriction device to predict where living cells of similar size/modulus would move. Calibration of the device with our MPs showed that inertial displacement depends on both particle size and modulus, with large/soft MPs migrating further toward the channel centerline than small/stiff MPs. The mapped trajectories also indicated that MP modulus contributed proportionally more to particle displacement than size, for the physiologically relevant ranges tested. The large shift in focusing position quantified here emphasizes the need for physiologically relevant, deformable MPs for calibrating and optimizing microfluidic separation platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - J. Fiering
- Draper, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
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50
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Aurich K, Fregin B, Palankar R, Wesche J, Hartwich O, Biedenweg D, Nguyen TH, Greinacher A, Otto O. Label-free on chip quality assessment of cellular blood products using real-time deformability cytometry. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:2306-2316. [PMID: 32458864 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00258e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Without cellular blood products such as platelet concentrates (PC), red blood cell concentrates (RCC), and hematopoietic stem cells (HPSC) modern treatments in medicine would not be possible. An unresolved challenge is the assessment of their quality with minimal cell manipulation. Minor changes in production, storage conditions, or blood bag composition may impact cell function, which can have important consequences on product integrity. This is especially relevant for personalized medicine, such as autologous T-cell therapy. Today a robust methodology that globally determines cell status directly before transfusion or transplantation is lacking. We demonstrate that measuring viscoelastic characteristics of peripheral blood cells using real-time deformability cytometry (RT-DC) provides comprehensive information on product quality, which is not accessible using conventional quality control tests. In addition, RT-DC requires few cells, a minimal sample volume and has a rapid turnaround time. We compared RT-DC to standard in vitro quality assays assessing: i) PC after storage at 4 °C and room temperature; ii) magnetic nanoparticle labeled platelets; iii) RCC stored in blood bags with different plasticizers; iv) RCC after gamma irradiation; and v) HPSC after cryopreservation with 5% or 10% dimethyl sulfoxide, respectively. Additionally, we evaluated the engraftment time of patients' platelets and leukocytes after transplantation of HPSC products. Our results demonstrate that label-free mechano-phenotyping can be used as a potential biomarker for quality assessment of cell-based pharmaceutical products.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstanze Aurich
- Transfusionsmedizin, Universitätsmedizin Greifswald, 17475 Greifswald, Germany.
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