Abstract
Cell traction forces are vital for many biological processes, including angiogenesis, inflammation, wound healing, and metastasis. The study of cell traction forces enables us to better understand the mechanisms of these biological processes at the cellular and molecular levels. Because of the small size of a cell and low magnitude of cell traction forces (∼10nN), it is a daunting task to determine cell traction forces reliably and accurately. In this chapter we review the current methods for determining cell traction forces, with special focus on a new technology for cell traction force microscopy (CTFM) we have recently developed. We conclude this chapter by discussing possible areas for improvement in CTFM and also suggesting potential applications of this technology.
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Wang, J.H.C., Lin, JS., Yang, ZC. (2007). Cell Traction Force Microscopy. In: Qin, L., Genant, H.K., Griffith, J.F., Leung, K.S. (eds) Advanced Bioimaging Technologies in Assessment of the Quality of Bone and Scaffold Materials. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-45456-4_14
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-540-45456-4_14
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