Atomic force microscopy-based nanomechanical signatures as cancer biomarkers in a nutshell

Atomic force microscopy-AFM enables label-free quantification of cellular and tissue mechanics with nanoscale resolution under near-physiological conditions, providing access to physical properties that are not captured by conventional approaches. In cancer, mechanical remodeling spans multiple scales, from cytoskeletal reorganization and increased cell deformability to extracellular matrix deposition and desmoplastic stiffening of solid tumors. These alterations generate reproducible nanomechanical fingerprints that distinguish cancer states at both the single-cell and tissue level. This review summarizes the principles underlying AFM, discusses their application in cancer diagnosis via tumor biopsy analysis, and highlights emerging efforts to extend mechanophenotyping toward circulating tumor-associated analytes in liquid biopsy. Finally, we illustrate the broader applicability of this framework using pulmonary fibrosis and discuss key challenges for clinical translation.