title: Microfluidics-based assessment of cell deformability.
abstract: Mechanical properties of cells have been shown to have a significant role in disease, as in many instances cell stiffness changes when a cell is no longer healthy. We present a high-throughput microfluidics-based approach that exploits the connection between travel time of a cell through a narrow passage and cell stiffness. The system resolves both cell travel time and relative cell diameter while retaining information on the cell level. We show that stiffer cells have longer transit times than less stiff ones and that cell size significantly influences travel times. Experiments with untreated HeLa cells and cells made compliant with latrunculin A and cytochalasin B further demonstrate that travel time is influenced by cell stiffness, with the compliant cells having faster transit time.
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering, MIT, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Adamo
authors: Armon
authors: A
authors: Sharei
authors: Luigi
authors: L
authors: Adamo
authors: ByungKun
authors: B
authors: Lee
authors: Shirley
authors: S
authors: Mao
authors: Klavs F
authors: KF
authors: Jensen
mesh_terms: D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic / Q000633:toxicity; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D003571:Cytochalasin B / Q000633:toxicity; D004566:Electrodes; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation; D053778:Thiazolidines / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D019086:Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic; D053778:Thiazolidines; D003571:Cytochalasin B; C037067:latrunculin A