The rise of nanomechanical biomarkers: how cell and tissue mechanics can help medicine?

Abstract

The rise of nanomechanical biomarkers: how cell and tissue mechanics can help medicine? “MechaDynA” develops two novel nanotools to allow force measurements on living cells. The goal is to obtain a complete, multi-scale picture of the physics of leucocyte adhesion. Technologically, it will establish two nanotools for force measurements on living cells covering the widest temporal range. This will open the door to unexplored physical phenomena in cell biology, biological physics and soft condensed matter. Biomedically, the expected outcomes will provide a mechanistic description of the physics of leucocyte immune response that may lead to better diagnosis and therapeutics. “Phys2BioMed” aims to identify biomechanical markers for the early detection of disease. The objective is to create an interdisciplinary research training network for early-stage researchers on the application of physical tools for the mechanical phenotyping of cells and tissues applied to early diagnostics. The network merged training from fields such as nanotechnology, physics, biology and medicine, defining the main features of new-generation instrumentation optimised for the mechanical phenotyping of clinical samples.