Release date: 2018-03-05
Although the cells are small, they are also powerful. When they perform important functions, the cells are able to generate power to shorten and re-elong. When this power is damaged, the disease will occur. Many diseases are characterized by impaired shortening of cells such as asthma and cancer. If this cell power can be measured, it is expected to improve the treatment of the disease.
In the past, people tried to monitor several cells in the culture dish. However, these methods are time consuming and laborious and do not help researchers understand more complex power patterns, such as those in cancer metastasis, where thousands of cells produce mechanical forces that migrate in the human body.
To this end, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, proposed an improved approach. They developed a device called a fluorescently labeled elastomeric contractible surface (FLECS) in which cells were placed on a rectangular plate embedded in an elastic cross. These crosses deform when the cells are placed on the cross and force is generated.
In addition, these elastic crosses feature a fluorescent marker that is easy for researchers to image and quantify. Therefore, one can relate the deformation of the cross to the force of a single cell or tens of thousands of cells. In addition, one can also use this method to view the calcium responses of individual cells and their relationship to cell strength.
Researchers hope to use this technology to elucidate the mechanisms involved in various diseases, which may help drug development. They can test different therapeutic molecules quickly and easily to see if they affect cell strength and whether they can remedy the power problems. For example, the researchers simulated asthma attacks on FLECS to see if the drug could be remedied.
Reynold Panettieri, a participant in the study and director of the Rutgers Institute for Translational Medicine, said: "We have developed a very effective platform for screening thousands of molecules to find the right medicine for patients. We have greatly reduced the time it takes to scan these molecules and have the opportunity to develop precise therapies in the future."
Source: Biopass
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