Abstract
Cellular contraction is a universal phenomenon that drives various processes in the body. As such, measurement of cell contractility is of great interest to the scientific community. However, contracting cells apply very small stresses, which can be difficult to monitor. Various techniques have been developed to overcome these issues, with resolutions extending to the single cell level. Despite significant progress in this field, many limitations remain, including the ability to measure contraction instantaneously and in vivo. Bioelectronics involve the application of electric fields or electrically responsive materials for measurement or stimulation in biology. Bioelectronic devices have the major potential to overcome some of the remaining challenges in monitoring cell contraction, given their ability to provide fast, non-invasive measurements. In this forward-looking perspective, we will discuss the development of contractile measurement technologies as well as new areas that require growth and the potential for application of bioelectronics in this field.
Highlights
Cellular contraction is fundamental to various interactions between a cell and its environment
Over the past four decades, various techniques have been developed for measuring the forces applied by cells during cellular contraction
We described the basics behind cellular tractions
Summary
Cellular contraction is fundamental to various interactions between a cell and its environment. Various bioelectronic devices have been developed to measure strain using wearable or implanted devices, as well as other physiologically relevant phenomena.[6,7,8,9] very few techniques have been applied for the measurement of forces at the cellular level, which could allow for the determination of cellular contractile forces in many more scenarios In this Perspective, we will initially provide an overview of the biological basis for cell adhesion and subsequent contraction, with some discussion of relevant in vivo and in vitro applications. Through the application of mechanical boundary conditions to cell-seeded collagen gels, cells will reorganize the collagen, generating large fiber-like structures.[29,30,31,32,39] These direct applications indicate, in addition to the relevance of contraction to cell fate, the necessity for studying cellular contraction, both for use as a tissue engineering methodology and to understand techniques by which we and the body can control cell behavior
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