Abstract
Intercellular adhesion plays a vital role in many biological processes including embryonic development, malignant invasion, and wound healing, and can be manipulated to generate complex structures in tissue engineering applications. Accurate measurement of the strength of intercellular adhesion is not trivial and requires methods rooted in sound physical principles. Tissue surface tensiometry (TST) rigorously quantifies intercellular cohesive energy of 3D tissue-like aggregates under physiological conditions. TST utilizes a custom-built tensiometer to compress 3D spheroids between parallel plates. The resistance to the applied force and changes in aggregate geometry are applied to the Young-Laplace equation, generating a measurement of apparent surface tension. We describe all components comprising the tensiometer and provide step by step instructions of all the key steps involved in generating spherical aggregates. We explain how tissue surface tension is calculated and provide a statistical analysis of a sample data set from 12 aggregates.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.