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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 22: Bioimaging

BP 22.5: Vortrag

Mittwoch, 19. März 2025, 16:30–16:45, H46

Platelet biomechanics in biochemical confinement — •Vincent Gidlund, Aylin Balmes, and Tilman Schäffer — Institute of Applied Physics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany

Platelets, as part of the human blood, play a critical role in wound healing, hemostasis, and thrombotic diseases. When platelets accumulate and form plugs during wound healing, they can experience confining microenvironments. For a deeper understanding of platelet biomechanics, it is important to investigate the effects of a confining microenvironment on platelets. It is known that platelets can adapt to line-shaped microenvironments, but the mechanical properties of platelets subjected to two-dimensional confining microenvironments remain unexplored. We use microcontact printing of fibrinogen patterns of different shapes (circles, triangles) and areas to create a biochemically confining microenvironment for platelets. We then apply epifluorescence microscopy and scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM) to measure F-actin distribution, topography, and stiffness of platelets confined to these shapes. We found that platelets adapt their morphology to match the shape of the underlying fibrinogen pattern. They show a redistribution of F-actin towards the periphery, as has been observed in other cell types. Additionally, a reduced shape area leads to decreased platelet stiffness.

Keywords: Platelets; SICM; cell mechanics; cytoskeleton; 8-Br-cGMP