Hostname: page-component-745bb68f8f-hvd4g Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-01-15T00:54:32.975Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Measuring Elastic Properties of Highly Metastatic Cells using Nano-Capillary Wrinkling

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Nan Iyer ,
Katelyn Cooper ,
Jianing Yang  and
Frederic Zenhausern
Nan Iyer
Affiliation:
nan.iyer@asu.edu, Arizona State University, Applied Nanobioscience, Tempe, Arizona, United States
Katelyn Cooper
Affiliation:
katey.cooper@asu.edu, Arizona State University, Applied Nanobioscience, Tempe, Arizona, United States
Jianing Yang
Affiliation:
Jianing.Yang@asu.edu, Arizona State University, Applied Nanobioscience, Tempe, Arizona, United States
Frederic Zenhausern
Affiliation:
frederic.zenhausern@asu.edu, Arizona State University, Applied Nanobioscience, Tempe, Arizona, United States
Get access

Abstract

Measuring elastic properties of cells has gained importance in the study of malignant transformations. The stiffness of a cell, which is technically referred to as the modulus of elasticity or Young's Modulus, E, is the measure of the amount of cell deformation caused by an applied known force. In vitro studies have shown that cancer cells have much lower elastic stiffness than normal cells. These stiffness measurements and their differences can be used to study the behavioral mechanics of how cancer cells grow, profligate, and die in a patient. Another important use of this difference in elasticity is in cancer detection.

In this study, we explore the viability of measuring the elastic modulus of cancer cells by using a method that only requires the use of a low magnification microscope and a digital camera. In particular we are interested in applying the previously reported relationship between the wrinkling of thin films and the elastic properties of freely floating polystyrene (PS) films. Our work extends the scope of previous thin film studies by evaluating wrinkle formation in floating polystyrene films coated with biological cells. Our results show that the wrinkle formation is modified, both in morphology and in size, by the presence of a cellular monolayer on top of the PS film.

Keywords

elastic propertiesnanoscalecellular (material form)
Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1185: Symposium II – Probing Mechanics at Nanoscale Dimensions , 2009 , 1185-II06-15
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Guck, J. et al. Biophys. J. 88, 3689–3698 (2005)10.1529/biophysj.104.045476Google Scholar
2. Suresh, S. Acta Biomater. 3, 413–438 (2007)10.1016/j.actbio.2007.04.002Google Scholar
3. Cross, S.E., Jin, Y.-S., Rao, J.Y., Gimewski, J.K., Nature Nanotech., 19(38) (2008)Google Scholar
4. Huang, J., Juskiewicz, M., Jeu, W., Cerda, E., Emrick, T., Menon, N., Russell, T., Science 317, 650 (2007)10.1126/science.1144616Google Scholar
5. Brandrup, J., Immergut, E.H, Polymer Handbook (Wiley, New York, ed. 3, 1987)Google Scholar
6. Foden, A.P., Freedman, R.S., Abrahams, C., S. Afr. Med. J,. 50, 571 (1976)Google Scholar