Mechanical Behavior of A375 Cell Membrane Puncture Based on AFM Experiments and Finite Element Analysis

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Cellular Mechanobiology
• Materials Science

Background:

• Cell membrane rupture is critical for drug delivery, tumor therapies, and understanding cellular mechanics.
• Quantitative mechanical mechanisms of membrane failure are not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate cell membrane rupture behavior using a combined experimental and computational approach.
• To determine the quantitative mechanical properties governing cell membrane failure.
• To identify the most accurate constitutive model for simulating membrane puncture.

Main Methods:

• Atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to puncture A375 human melanoma cells.
• Finite element simulations were developed based on experimental AFM data.
• Linear elastic, elastoplastic, and hyperelastic constitutive models were compared.

Main Results:

• AFM experiments yielded rupture force (27.09±0.446 nN), indentation depth (3.46±0.429 μm), and rupture energy (16.77±0.902 fJ).
• Finite element simulations showed high agreement with experimental values (4.4%–8.1% difference).
• The hyperelastic model most accurately represented membrane puncture behavior.

Conclusions:

• The hyperelastic model effectively captures the large deformation nonlinear mechanics of cell membrane rupture.
• The integrated experimental and computational framework provides quantitative insights into cell membrane failure.
• This study establishes a platform for future research on membrane damage and cell biomechanics.