Regensburg 2019 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 18: Cell mechanics II

BP 18.8: Talk

Wednesday, April 3, 2019, 17:00–17:15, H10

Mechanical Properties of Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma Cells — •Hsiao-Ching Tsai¹, Julia Kristin², Jörg Schipper², and Mathias Getzlaff¹ — ¹Institute of Applied Physics, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf — ²Hals-Nasen-Ohren-Klinikum Düsseldorf

Several studies have shown that many human diseases can be associated to the mechanical properties of living cells. Additionally, elastic properties of cancer cells may play a major role in malignant processes. Since cell stiffness is related to invasiveness, we suggest that the elasticity parameter is a useful parameter to distinguish between cancer and non-malignant cells. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a powerful technique to determine mechanical properties. However, the characterization of mechanical properties of cells or tissue with AFM is relatively costly, difficult and time-consuming. Moreover, the experimental result is hard to reproduce due to the aquatic environment. Therefore, the discrimination of elastic properties of Head and Neck Squamous Carcinoma Cells (HNSCC), one of the most severe tumor cells, is not determined yet. In this study, we culture both normal cells and cancerous human oral cells from different location of head-neck area and applied them with an indentation study of AFM. With this measurement, we can get not only the cell morphology, but also the elastic modulus using Hertz Contact Model.