Study of Biomechanics of Subcellular Structures by Brillouin Scattering (CAT#: STEM-ST-0105-YJL)

Introduction

The biomechanical behaviour of cells is implied to be extensively involved in the development of diseases such as atherosclerosis, cancer and glaucoma. In these diseases, changes in cellular stiffness and/or contractility coincide with the onset of the disease. In atherosclerosis, disturbed and oscillatory wall shear stress coincide with plaque formation at arterial branch points through a process that is mediated by the shear-sensitive endothelial cells that line the artery. In glaucoma, increased endothelial stiffness is associated with increased outflow resistance and intraocular pressure, which can lead to blindness. In breast cancer, malignant human breast epithelial cells exhibited a significantly reduced apparent stiffness compared to their non-cancerous counterparts, potentially aiding cell migration in metastasis. However, our understanding of how molecular and subcellular components contribute to cell stiffness and how cellular mechanical properties contribute to the pathogenesis of these diseases remains limited.