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Investigation of the viscoelasticity of human osteosarcoma cells using a shear assay method

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Abstract

This paper presents a shear assay method for the determination of the viscoelastic properties of biological cells. The method was applied to the measurement of the viscoelastic properties of human osteosarcoma (HOS) cells. It involves a combination of shear assay experiments and digital image correlation techniques. Following in situ observations of cell deformation during shear assay experiments, a digital image correlation (DIC) technique was used to determine the local displacement and strain fields. The creep curves were also extracted from multiple digital images that were used to extract the time dependence of local strain under constant stress conditions. The measured creep curves were well described by a generalized viscoelastic Maxwell model. The extracted elastic and viscous parameters were in good agreement with results obtained from prior studies with other techniques. The results also suggested that the nucleus is stiffer than the surrounding cytoplasm of HOS cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM) and Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, 08544, USA

    Yifang Cao, Randy Bly, Will Moore & Wole Soboyejo

  2. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Rutgers University, Piscataway, New Jersey, 08854, USA

    Zhan Gao & Alberto M. Cuitino

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  1. Yifang Cao
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  2. Randy Bly
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  3. Will Moore
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  4. Zhan Gao
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  5. Alberto M. Cuitino
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  6. Wole Soboyejo
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Correspondence to Wole Soboyejo.

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Cao, Y., Bly, R., Moore, W. et al. Investigation of the viscoelasticity of human osteosarcoma cells using a shear assay method. Journal of Materials Research 21, 1922–1930 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2006.0235

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2006.0235

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