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Protrusion Force Microscopy: A Method to Quantify Forces Developed by Cell Protrusions

Protrusion Force Microscopy: A Method to Quantify Forces Developed by Cell Protrusions

Published on: June 16, 2018

Measuring cell-generated forces: a guide to the available tools.

William J Polacheck^1,2, Christopher S Chen^1,2

¹Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.

|April 29, 2016

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Cellular forces are vital for biological processes. This review covers methods for measuring cell forces, addressing challenges that hinder broader adoption by researchers.

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Area of Science:

Biophysics
Cell Biology
Developmental Biology

Background:

Cellular forces regulate fundamental biological processes including cell adhesion, signaling, and function.
These forces are critical drivers of morphogenetic events during embryonic development.
Measuring cellular forces is essential for understanding their biological roles.

Purpose of the Study:

To review established methods for measuring cellular forces.
To highlight the technical challenges hindering the widespread implementation of these methods.
To facilitate broader adoption of force measurement techniques in biological research.

Main Methods:

Review of established techniques for measuring cellular forces.
Discussion of inherent multidisciplinary expertise required for implementation and interpretation.
Identification of technical challenges associated with laboratory adoption.

Main Results:

Several methods for measuring cellular forces have been developed over the past two decades.
Despite significant interest, adoption by the broader biological community remains limited.
Multidisciplinary expertise is a significant barrier to implementation.

Conclusions:

Understanding cellular forces is crucial for advancing cell biology and developmental biology.
Addressing technical and expertise challenges is necessary to enable wider use of force measurement techniques.
This review aims to bridge the gap between method development and biological laboratory application.