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Updated: Feb 13, 2026

Quantitative Analysis of Viscoelastic Properties of Red Blood Cells Using Optical Tweezers and Defocusing Microscopy
Published on: March 25, 2022
Atorvastatin treatment softens human red blood cells: an optical tweezers study
Vahid Sheikh-Hasani1, Mehrad Babaei1,2, Ali Azadbakht3,2
1Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract:
Optical tweezers are proven indispensable single-cell micro-manipulation and mechanical phenotyping tools. In this study, we have used optical tweezers for measuring the viscoelastic properties of human red blood cells (RBCs). Comparison of the viscoelastic features of the healthy fresh and atorvastatin treated cells revealed that the drug softens the cells. Using a simple modeling approach, we proposed a molecular model that explains the drug-induced softening of the RBC membrane. Our results suggest that direct interactions between the drug and cytoskeletal components underlie the drug-induced softening of the cells.
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