Abstract
Since the cell was discovered by humans, it has been an important research subject for researchers. The mechanical response of cells to external stimuli and the biomechanical response inside cells are of great significance for maintaining the life activities of cells. These biomechanical behaviors have wide applications in the fields of disease research and micromanipulation. In order to study the mechanical behavior of single cells, various cell mechanics models have been proposed. In addition, the measurement technologies of single cells have been greatly developed. These models, combined with experimental techniques, can effectively explain the biomechanical behavior and reaction mechanism of cells. In this review, we first introduce the basic concept and biomechanical background of cells, then summarize the research progress of internal force models and experimental techniques in the field of cell mechanics and discuss the latest mechanical models and experimental methods. We summarize the application directions of cell mechanics and put forward the future perspectives of a cell mechanics model.
Highlights
The cell is the basic structure and a functional unit of an organism
The biomechanical properties of single cells are closely related to organs or macrotissues
For the future of the cell mechanics model, I reckon that the model should satisfy the following conditions: (1) The cell model needs to be consistent with cell structure, including the cytoskeleton, crosslinked protein, and functional protein; (2) the model should be in line with the mechanical properties of the cell in reality, such as the elastic behavior of the cell, the viscoelastic properties of the nucleus, and the polymerization and depolymerization of the cytoskeleton; (3) the cell model to be established should be applicable and can simulate different cell types and analyze the stress and deformation of cells under different loads; (4) it can be closely combined with molecular dynamics to analyze the mechanical behavior of cells from the molecular perspective
Summary
The cell is the basic structure and a functional unit of an organism. It is the component unit of living bodies in the world. The biomechanical properties of single cells are closely related to organs or macrotissues. The origin of many diseases can be considered from the mechanical properties of cells [4,5], such as the change of viscoelasticity of cells [6] and the change of Young’s modulus [7], which are related to cancer metastasis and malignant transformation. In the wake of developments in science and technology, people are increasingly aware that cell mechanics plays a crucial role in cell function, and the experimental technology of cell mechanics has been significantly changed. It opens up a new way of research—mechanical models. The future perspectives of the cell mechanical model are put forward
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