Evaluation for Mechanical and Adhesion Properties of Single Cells by Using Micro-tensile Testing System Working Under the Microscope

-Mechanical properties of HeLa cells which was inhibited polymerization of microtubules-

Abstract

Mechanical properties of cancer cells are important for considering the behavior of cancer cells. However, few studies evaluate the mechanical properties and adhesion force of whole cells at the same moment. In this study, we evaluated stiffness and adhesion force of cancer cells (HeLa) by using an in-process micro tensile tester which we developed. To analyze the effect of the microtubule on the mechanical property and the adhesion force of cells, we carried out the tensile test to treated cells with colchicine which inhibits polymerization of the microtubule. As a result, the upper stiffness of treated cells (14.2 ± 7.1 nN/%strain) was larger than that of control cells (5.6 ± 3.5 nN/%strain). Additionally, the adhesion force of treated cells (472.7 ± 278.5 nN) was also larger than that of control cells (182.2 ± 94.0 nN).