Profiling Cell-Matrix Adhesion Using Digitalized Acoustic Streaming.

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Cell Biology
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Cell-matrix adhesion is crucial for physiological and pathological processes, including development, healing, and cancer metastasis.
• Accurate profiling of cell adhesion kinetics at the single-cell level is essential for understanding these processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel digital acoustofluidic device for parallel, single-cell level profiling of cell-matrix adhesion kinetics.
• To demonstrate the device's utility in studying cancer cell metastasis by measuring adhesion forces to fibronectin.

Main Methods:

• A digital acoustofluidic device was engineered using localized acoustic streaming in an open microfluidic chamber.
• Acoustic streaming-induced Stokes drag force was employed to detach cells from fibronectin-coated substrates.
• Pulsed acoustic power regulated the detachment of hundreds of cells, enabling measurement of adhesive forces (pN to nN) and kinetics.

Main Results:

• The device successfully measured single-cell adhesion forces and kinetics with pN resolution.
• Adhesion strength and kinetics of malignant (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231) and nonmalignant (MCF-10A) breast cancer cells were compared.
• The technique differentiated metastatic potentials based on cell-substrate rupture forces.

Conclusions:

• The developed acoustofluidic device offers a simple, operable method for parallel measurement of hundreds of single-cell adhesion forces.
• This technology holds significant potential for fundamental cell biology research, cancer diagnostics, and tissue engineering.
• The device enables precise quantification of cell-matrix interactions, advancing our understanding of cellular behavior in health and disease.