单细胞机械性能检测方法与应用研究进展

Advances in Methods and Applications for The Detection of Single Cell Mechanical Properties

细胞机械性能与细胞的生理状态与功能存在密切联系。早期对于细胞机械性能的研究受制于技术条件,只能获得细胞群的弹性或剪切模量,使得少量异质细胞的机械表型被淹没。近年来,单细胞机械性能检测技术得到了蓬勃发展。原子力显微镜、微吸管技术、光镊与光学拉伸、磁扭转流变仪与磁镊等单细胞机械性能检测技术展现出非常高的检测精度,但检测通量相对较低。新型微流控高通量检测方法的出现使检测通量呈几何式增长,有望解决大样本快速检测的需求。本文首先综述原子力显微镜、微吸管、光镊与光学拉伸和磁扭转流变仪与磁镊等单细胞机械性能检测技术。在此基础上,重点介绍细胞过孔、剪切诱导细胞变形和拉伸诱导细胞变形3种新兴微流控高通量检测技术的工作原理及最新研究进展,探讨各类方法的优缺点。最后,本文展望单细胞机械性能检测技术的未来发展方向。

The cell mechanical properties are closely related to the physiological states and functions of cells.Early studies on the cell mechanical properties could only provide the elasticity or shear modulus of the whole cell population, which results in the loss of the mechanical phenotypes of the heterogeneous cells. In recent years,new methods for the detection of single-cell mechanical properties have been widely reported. The conventional technologies of atomic force microscopy, micropipette aspiration technology, optical tweezers and stretching,magnetic twisting cytometry and magnetic tweezers exhibit a very high detection accuracy, but have a relatively low detection throughput. The new emergence of microfluidic high-throughput detection methods could provide the possible solution for increasing the throughput. This article firstly reviews typical single-cell mechanical property detection techniques such as atomic force microscopy, micropipettes, optical tweezers and optical stretching, magnetic twisting cytometry and magnetic tweezers. Next, the working principles and the recent progresses of the newly emerging microfluidic high-throughput detection technologies, including microconstrictions, shear-induced and stretch-induced cell deformation, are introduced. Then, the advantages and disadvantages of each method are discussed. Finally, the prospects for future development in the detection of single cell mechanical properties are also discussed.