A detailed protocol for cell force measurement by traction force microscopy

Man Zhang; Yu Zhang; Peng Wang; Qian Sun; Xin Wang; Yi Cao; Qiang Wei

Smart Materials in Medicine (Mar 2024)

A detailed protocol for cell force measurement by traction force microscopy

Man Zhang,
Yu Zhang,
Peng Wang,
Qian Sun,
Xin Wang,
Yi Cao,
Qiang Wei

Affiliations

Man Zhang: College of Biomedical Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
Yu Zhang: Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China
Peng Wang: College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
Qian Sun: College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China
Xin Wang: Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, 325001, China
Yi Cao: Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China; Jinan Microecological Biomedicine Shandong Laboratory, Jinan, 250021, China; Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, 325001, China; Corresponding author. Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210093, China.
Qiang Wei: College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610065, China; Corresponding author. Sichuan University, College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials and Engineering, 610065, Chengdu, China.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 5, no. 1
pp. 106 – 113

Abstract

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Cellular traction forces (CTFs) are generated by adherent cells and involved in regulating migration, morphology, and homeostasis. Accurate measurement of CTFs is crucial for understanding fundamental biological processes such as morphogenesis, angiogenesis, and wound healing. However, directly measuring CTFs, which typically range in the nanonewton scale, is challenging. Cellular traction force microscopy (TFM) has been developed to quantify CTFs, but detailed operational procedures and complex data analysis limit its applicability. In this study, hydrogels embedded with fluo-spheres serve as the substrate for TFM measurement under a detailed TFM protocol. Additionally, we designed a user-friendly program for easy parameter setting. An open-source program called Python Fourier transform traction cytometry (pyFTTC) is introduced for data analysis, utilizing particle image velocimetry (PIV) to calculate the traction force from a batch of images. Cross-correlation based PIV and L2-regularized FTTC are applied to all images for data analysis. This article provides a straightforward protocol for quantifying CTFs in standard laboratories, facilitating both cell biology studies and biomaterials development.

Published in Smart Materials in Medicine

ISSN: 2590-1834 (Online)
Publisher: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
Country of publisher: China
LCC subjects: Technology
Website: https://www.keaipublishing.com/en/journals/smart-materials-in-medicine/

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