Atomic force microscopy: From red blood cells to immunohaematology

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Hematology
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Red blood cells (RBCs) are crucial for oxygen transport, and their health impacts overall physiology.
• Understanding RBC surface antigen interactions is vital for diagnostics and treatments in immunohaematology.
• Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) provides high-resolution imaging and force measurement capabilities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the diverse applications of AFM in assessing red blood cell (RBC) health.
• To highlight AFM's role in characterizing biomolecular interactions with RBCs.
• To discuss the potential of AFM in advancing immunohaematology.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing AFM for morphological and structural imaging of RBCs.
• Employing AFM to measure RBC elasticity and surface roughness.
• Applying AFM to quantify interaction forces between plasma proteins/antibodies and RBC surface antigens.

Main Results:

• AFM enables detailed observation of RBC morphology, elasticity, and surface characteristics.
• Interaction force measurements provide novel insights into immunohaematology.
• AFM facilitates the study of RBC responses to environmental and molecular changes.

Conclusions:

• AFM is a powerful tool for evaluating RBC health and function.
• AFM significantly contributes to understanding RBC surface antigen-specific interactions.
• Ongoing AFM advancements promise further discoveries in hematology and related fields.