What Is Cell Biomechanics?

Cell mechanics is a frontier field of biomechanics and an important component of tissue engineering. It involves the study of cell membrane, cytoskeleton deformation, elastic constant, viscoelasticity, adhesion and other mechanical properties under mechanical load, and the effects of mechanical factors on cell growth, development, maturity, proliferation, aging and death, Study of its mechanism. Cytomechanics pays attention to various types of cells in the human body, especially those related to the blood circulation system, the human supporting motor system, and the digestive system.

Cell mechanics is a frontier field of biomechanics and an important component of tissue engineering. It involves the study of cell membrane, cytoskeleton deformation, elastic constant, viscoelasticity, adhesion and other mechanical properties under mechanical load, and the effects of mechanical factors on cell growth, development, maturity, proliferation, aging and death, and Study of its mechanism. Cytomechanics pays attention to various types of cells in the human body, especially those related to the blood circulation system, the human supporting motor system, and the digestive system.

Foreign name

cell mechanics

Structural basis of cell mechanics

In the study of cell mechanics models, cells are usually regarded as rheological bodies surrounded by a membrane; the thickness of the cell membrane is about 4-5 nm, which separates the interior of the cell from the environment. The cell membrane is a lipid bilayer membrane composed of double-chain lipids and proteins, which can be changed into various shapes at will, which is equivalent to a two-dimensional fluid.

The stress and deformation of the cell membrane have a direct impact on the function and structure of the membrane. In addition, the cell-to-cell connection is also a connection device formed by the special biochemical processes of adjacent cell membranes. Inside the cell, there is an extremely complex network structure system of protein fibers-the cytoskeleton, which includes microtubules, microfilaments, and intermediate fibers; this cytoskeleton network system enables cells to have the ability to actively deform and resist passive deformation.

The key to cells receiving mechanical stimulation is the integrity of the cell structure, especially the tension integrity of the cytoskeleton; it can achieve the transmission and distribution of mechanical forces within the cell and the mechanical signal is finally displayed at the effect point. Integrin is also one of the mechanoreceptors on the cell surface. It can transmit external forces to the channels of the cytoskeleton, and mediate the adhesion between cells and the extracellular matrix. Cells respond in time to the integrin receptor on their surface, and selectively convert mechanical signals to different structural components of the cell in the form of tension. After the cell is stimulated by force, the stimulus is transformed into the corresponding signal and introduced into the cell, causing A series of response reactions. In addition, the regulation of intracellular free calcium ion concentration is also a key link in mechanical signal transmission. The change in the concentration of calcium ions is mainly achieved through calcium channels on the membrane. Among them, voltage-operated calcium channels are considered to directly sense mechanical signals to regulate calcium ions to transmit various extracellular signals into the cell, causing a cascade of intracellular signals. In turn, it regulates cell proliferation and differentiation.

Cell mechanics

In terms of cell mechanics, the key to its research is the mechanical loading method of cells; therefore, finding the appropriate cell loading method, cell deformation, and related biological measurement methods are the primary issues in cell mechanics research. Cell mechanics experiments are simulations of the biomechanical environment in which cells are located under certain conditions. According to the source of the simulated force, it is usually divided into two categories: simulated in vivo mechanical environment and simulated external mechanical environment. The experimental methods for simulating the mechanical environment in vivo mainly include the flow shear method, the substrate stretching method, the hydrostatic pressure method, and the circumferential stress method; the experimental methods for simulating the external mechanical environment include the microgravity cell culture method, the centrifugal force field method, and the gas addition method. Compression method, sonic stimulation method, microbeam irradiation method. In addition, the experimental methods for studying the mechanical properties of single cells mainly include microtubule sucking method, atomic force microscope cantilever stimulation method, magnetic bead torsion method and optical clamp method.

Cell mechanics reference

[1] Shaofan Li, Bohua Sun. Advances in cell mechanics. Beijing: Higher Education Press, 1st edition, 2011.

[2] Chen Huaiqing. Cell Biomechanics and Clinical Application. 1st edition, Zhengzhou: Zhengzhou University Press, 2012.

[3] Jiang Zonglai, Fan Yubo. BiomechanicsFrom Basic to Frontiers. 1st edition, Beijing: Science Press, 2010.