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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 10: Poster III
BP 10.2: Poster
Montag, 16. März 2020, 17:30–19:30, P2/3OG
Probing the real-time mechanical properties of cardiac fibroblasts using optical trap-based rheometry — •Heidi Somsel1, Anna Blob1, Wolfram-Hubertus Zimmermann2, and Sarah Köster1 — 1Institute for X-Ray Physics, University of Göttingen, Göttingen — 2Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen
In order to further develop treatments and cures for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), the workings of individual components of the heart must be better understood. Cardiac fibroblasts (CFs), a primary constituent of the heart, contribute to the mechanical properties, normal homeostasis, and cell-cell communication within the heart. However, CFs were widely ignored in the past, thus creating a barrier in the development of future CVD treatments. Here, we focus on the mechanical properties of primary and stem-cell derived CFs, and how they respond to commonly used cardiac drugs. Single CFs are probed via active rheometry in a dual optical trap where a cell in suspension is caught between two beads via focal adhesions. This allows us to determine an effective cell stiffness by approximating the cell as a linear-elastic element. The optical trap is combined with a microfluidic chip permitting for a real-time readout of the response and recovery of individual cells to an applied drug. Integrating optical tweezers and microfluidics allows us to probe, for the first time, the mechanical properties of a cell in a quasi-3D environment in response to drugs in real-time.