This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) supplemental file All Versions of this Article: biophysj.104.045476v1 88/5/3689    most recent Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Guck, J. Articles by Bilby, C. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Guck, J. Articles by Bilby, C.

Optical Deformability as an Inherent Cell Marker for Testing Malignant Transformation and Metastatic Competence

Jochen Guck ^* , Stefan Schinkinger ^* , Bryan Lincoln ^* , Falk Wottawah ^* , Susanne Ebert ^*, Maren Romeyke ^*, Dominik Lenz , Harold M. Erickson  ^¶, Revathi Ananthakrishnan ^* , Daniel Mitchell ^¶, Josef Käs ^* , Sydney Ulvick ^¶ and Curt Bilby ^¶

^* Institute for Soft Matter Physics, Department of Physics and Geosciences, University of Leipzig, 04103 Leipzig, Germany; Center for Nonlinear Dynamics, University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78712; Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Heart Center Leipzig, University of Leipzig, 04289 Leipzig, Germany; Tom C. Mathews Familial Melanoma Research Clinic, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112; and ^¶ Evacyte Corporation, Austin, Texas 78752

Correspondence: Address reprint requests to Dr. Jochen Guck, University of Leipzig, Dept. of Physics and Geosciences, Institute for Soft Matter Physics, Linnéstr. 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany. Tel.: +49 (0)341 973 2578; Fax: +49 (0)341 973 2479; E-mail: jguck{at}physik.uni-leipzig.de.

The relationship between the mechanical properties of cells and their molecular architecture has been the focus of extensive research for decades. The cytoskeleton, an internal polymer network, in particular determines a cell's mechanical strength and morphology. This cytoskeleton evolves during the normal differentiation of cells, is involved in many cellular functions, and is characteristically altered in many diseases, including cancer. Here we examine this hypothesized link between function and elasticity, enabling the distinction between different cells, by using a microfluidic optical stretcher, a two-beam laser trap optimized to serially deform single suspended cells by optically induced surface forces. In contrast to previous cell elasticity measurement techniques, statistically relevant numbers of single cells can be measured in rapid succession through microfluidic delivery, without any modification or contact. We find that optical deformability is sensitive enough to monitor the subtle changes during the progression of mouse fibroblasts and human breast epithelial cells from normal to cancerous and even metastatic state. The surprisingly low numbers of cells required for this distinction reflect the tight regulation of the cytoskeleton by the cell. This suggests using optical deformability as an inherent cell marker for basic cell biological investigation and diagnosis of disease.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				R. A. Whipple, E. M. Balzer, E. H. Cho, M. A. Matrone, J. R. Yoon, and S. S. Martin Vimentin Filaments Support Extension of Tubulin-Based Microtentacles in Detached Breast Tumor Cells Cancer Res., July 15, 2008; 68(14): 5678 - 5688. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Semmrich, T. Storz, J. Glaser, R. Merkel, A. R. Bausch, and K. Kroy From the Cover: Glass transition and rheological redundancy in F-actin solutions PNAS, December 18, 2007; 104(51): 20199 - 20203. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. M. Darling, S. Zauscher, J. A. Block, and F. Guilak A Thin-Layer Model for Viscoelastic, Stress-Relaxation Testing of Cells Using Atomic Force Microscopy: Do Cell Properties Reflect Metastatic Potential? Biophys. J., March 1, 2007; 92(5): 1784 - 1791. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. Park, D. Koch, R. Cardenas, J. Kas, and C. K. Shih Cell Motility and Local Viscoelasticity of Fibroblasts Biophys. J., December 1, 2005; 89(6): 4330 - 4342. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]