Abstract
This mini-review presents recent progresses in the development of microfluidic constriction channels enabling high-throughput mechanical property characterization of single cells. We first summarized the applications of the constriction channel design in quantifying mechanical properties of various types of cells including red blood cells, white blood cells, and tumor cells. Then we highlighted the efforts in modeling the cellular entry process into the constriction channel, enabling the translation of raw mechanical data (e.g., cellular entry time into the constriction channel) into intrinsic cellular mechanical properties such as cortical tension or Young’s modulus. In the end, current limitations and future research opportunities of the microfluidic constriction channels were discussed.
Highlights
The mechanical properties of a biological cell are largely determined by the characteristics of its cytoskeleton, an elaborate network of fibrous proteins [1,2]
Various diseases and changes in cell states are reported to lead to variations in cellular mechanical properties, which include (1) changes in the stiffness of blood cells (e.g., variations of red blood cells (RBCs) in malaria or sickle cell anemia and white blood cells (WBCs) in sepsis, trauma, and acute respiratory distress syndrome); (2) increased cell deformability of invasive cancer cells; and (3) decreased deformability during the stem cell differentiation process [3,4]
Cellular mechanical properties are quantified based on well-established techniques [3]
Summary
The mechanical properties of a biological cell are largely determined by the characteristics of its cytoskeleton, an elaborate network of fibrous proteins [1,2]. Cellular mechanical properties are quantified based on well-established techniques (e.g., atomic force microscopy, micropipette aspiration and optical tweezers) [3]. Compared with atomic force microscopy, micropipette aspiration deforms a cell patch in a more global manner, leading to more accurate characterization of cellular mechanical properties.
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