Atomic force microscopy in disease-related studies: Exploring tissue and cell mechanics

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Medical Diagnostics
• Cellular Mechanics

Background:

• Current medical diagnostics face challenges in promptly identifying and treating certain diseases.
• Tissue and cellular mechanics differ significantly between healthy and diseased states.
• Mechanical properties, or "force," present a potential target for disease diagnosis and treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the principles and applications of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) in disease research.
• To explore AFM's potential as a clinical tool for diagnosing and treating diseases.
• To examine how AFM assesses tissue and cellular mechanics in physiological settings.

Main Methods:

• Review of Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) operational principles and mechanical models.
• Analysis of studies applying AFM to investigate tissue and cellular mechanics in prevalent diseases.
• Focus on AFM's capability to assess surface morphology and mechanical characteristics concurrently.

Main Results:

• AFM can concurrently assess surface morphology and mechanical characteristics of biological specimens.
• Distinctive mechanical traits in tissues and cells are observable in both normal and pathological states.
• Studies reviewed demonstrate AFM's utility in investigating disease-associated mechanics.

Conclusions:

• Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) is a promising technology for clinical medical applications.
• AFM's ability to analyze mechanical properties offers a novel approach for disease diagnosis and treatment.
• Findings support the potential clinical implementation of AFM for challenging diseases.