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Title: Cell mechanics as a marker for diseases: Biomedical applications of AFM

Journal Article · · AIP Conference Proceedings
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4960276· OSTI ID:22608287
;  [1]
  1. Institute of Biophysics, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn Allee 1, Bremen, D-28359 Germany (Germany)

Many diseases are related to changes in cell mechanics. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is one of the most suitable techniques allowing the investigation of both topography and mechanical properties of adherent cells with high spatial resolution under physiological conditions. Over the years the use of this technique in medical and clinical applications has largely increased, resulting in the notion of cell mechanics as a biomarker to discriminate between different physiological and pathological states of cells. Cell mechanics has proven to be a biophysical fingerprint able discerning between cell phenotypes, unraveling processes in aging or diseases, or even detecting and diagnosing cellular pathologies. We will review in this report some of the works on cell mechanics investigated by AFM with clinical and medical relevance in order to clarify the state of research in this field and to highlight the role of cell mechanics in the study of pathologies, focusing on cancer, blood and cardiovascular diseases.

OSTI ID:
22608287
Journal Information:
AIP Conference Proceedings, Vol. 1760, Issue 1; Conference: PC'16: International conference on physics of cancer: Interdisciplinary problems and clinical applications 2016, Tomsk (Russian Federation), 22-25 Mar 2016; Other Information: (c) 2016 Author(s); Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0094-243X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English