Micro-mechanical sensing and imaging of 3D cell culture systems
2023
University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
In this study, a new instrument named ‘OptoRheo’ is described. It combines light sheet fluorescence microscopy with particle tracking microrheology. OptoRheo allows 3D imaging of cells as they proliferate over several days, while simultaneously sensing the mechanical properties of the surrounding extracellular and pericellular matrix at a subcellular scale.
The application of the device was demonstrated by characterizing the extracellular matrix surrounding live breast cancer cells in two distinct culture systems: cell clusters in 3D hydrogels and spheroids in suspension culture.
OptoRheo will allow a better understanding of cell-matrix interactions, the exploration of drug transport through complex cell culture matrices, and the optimization of next-generation of in-vitro disease models.
OptoRheo: Simultaneous in situ micro-mechanical sensing and imaging of live 3D biological systems
Tania Mendonca
Added on: 11-06-2023
[1] https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-023-04780-8
