Issue 11, 2009

Passive and active single-cell biomechanics: a new perspective in cancer diagnosis

Abstract

The relationship between biological cells' mechanical behavior and their underlying molecular structures and cellular dynamics opens new perspectives for polymer physics. Intracellular organization and cellular stability rely on an active polymer scaffold, the cytoskeleton, which is unparalleled in the synthetic world. Here, we highlight micro- and nanotechnology-based methods that have been used to study the active and passive biomechanical properties of living cells. Correlating viscoelastic properties with the metastatic potential of the cells could produce new insights into the processes of cell migration and metastasis.

Graphical abstract: Passive and active single-cell biomechanics: a new perspective in cancer diagnosis

Article information

Article type
Review Article
Submitted
02 May 2008
Accepted
19 Feb 2009
First published
18 Mar 2009

Soft Matter, 2009,5, 2171-2178

Passive and active single-cell biomechanics: a new perspective in cancer diagnosis

C. Brunner, A. Niendorf and J. A. Käs, Soft Matter, 2009, 5, 2171 DOI: 10.1039/B807545J

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