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Traction Force Microscopy for Noninvasive Imaging of Cell Forces

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Biomechanics in Oncology

Part of the book series: Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ((AEMB,volume 1092))

Abstract

The forces exerted by cells on their surroundings play an integral role in both physiological processes and disease progression. Traction force microscopy is a noninvasive technique that enables the in vitro imaging and quantification of cell forces. Utilizing expertise from a variety of disciplines, recent developments in traction force microscopy are enhancing the study of cell forces in physiologically relevant model systems, and hold promise for further advancing knowledge in mechanobiology. In this chapter, we discuss the methods, capabilities, and limitations of modern approaches for traction force microscopy, and highlight ongoing efforts and challenges underlying future innovations.

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Acknowledgments

Recent studies and results presented here were funded in part by a grant from the US National Institutes of Health (R21EB022927, Adie) and a Cornell Discovery and Innovation Research Seed Award (Adie). Additional information can be found at http://adie.research.engineering.cornell.edu.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Jeffrey A. Mulligan

  2. Centre de Recherche du CHU de Québec, Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada

    François Bordeleau

  3. Départment of Biologie Moléculaire, Biochimie Médicale et Pathologie, Université Laval, Québec, Qc, Canada

    François Bordeleau

  4. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA

    Cynthia A. Reinhart-King

  5. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

    Cynthia A. Reinhart-King & Steven G. Adie

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  1. Jeffrey A. Mulligan
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  2. François Bordeleau
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  3. Cynthia A. Reinhart-King
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  4. Steven G. Adie
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Steven G. Adie .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Cheng Dong

  2. Division of Cancer Biology, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA

    Nastaran Zahir

  3. Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Konstantinos Konstantopoulos

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Mulligan, J.A., Bordeleau, F., Reinhart-King, C.A., Adie, S.G. (2018). Traction Force Microscopy for Noninvasive Imaging of Cell Forces. In: Dong, C., Zahir, N., Konstantopoulos, K. (eds) Biomechanics in Oncology. Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology, vol 1092. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95294-9_15

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