Probing intracellular dynamics of prostate cells with coherence-gated dynamic light scattering

Cells are dynamic biomaterials that continuously modulate their mechanical properties and internal dynamics. This ability is increasingly recognized as a potential biophysical marker for diagnosing and predicting pathological states. We show that the collective intracellular dynamics of prostate cells can be characterized in a passive, non-invasive, contactless manner, using the interferometric amplification of light scattered by individual cells within a localized sensing volume. By employing phenotypically different prostate cell models, namely RWPE 1, C4-2B, and PC-3, we demonstrate that coherence-gated DLS provides distinct optical and biomechanical signatures, enabling discrimination among these cell lines while revealing intracellular dynamic profiles that align with their metastatic potential, in agreement with previous literature reports. This light scattering approach permits access to mechanical properties under physiological conditions and over a broad spectrum of frequencies, which in turn allows for a comprehensive cellular characterization beyond simple stiffness paradigms.