Real-time imaging of cellular forces using optical interference

How to Keep Myofibroblasts under Control: Culture of Mouse Skin Fibroblasts on Soft Substrates

During the physiological healing of skin wounds, fibroblasts recruited from the uninjured adjacent dermis and deeper subcutaneous fascia layers are transiently activated into myofibroblasts to first secrete and then contract collagen-rich extracellular matrix into a mechanically resistant scar. Scar tissue restores skin integrity after damage but comes at the expense of poor esthetics and loss of tissue function. Stiff scar matrix also mechanically activates various precursor cells into myofibroblasts in a positive feedback loop. Persistent myofibroblast activation results in pathologic accumulation of fibrous collagen and hypertrophic scarring, called fibrosis. Consequently, the mechanisms of fibroblast-to-myofibroblast activation and persistence are studied to develop antifibrotic and prohealing treatments. Mechanistic understanding often starts in a plastic cell culture dish. This can be problematic because contact of fibroblasts with tissue culture plastic or glass surfaces invariably generates myofibroblast phenotypes in standard culture. We describe a straight-forward method to produce soft cell culture surfaces for fibroblast isolation and continued culture and highlight key advantages and limitations of the approach. Adding a layer of elastic silicone polymer tunable to the softness of normal skin and the stiffness of pathologic scars allows to control mechanical fibroblast activation while preserving the simplicity of conventional 2-dimensional cell culture.

Optical mapping of ground reaction force dynamics in freely behaving Drosophila melanogaster larvae

During locomotion, soft-bodied terrestrial animals solve complex control problems at substrate interfaces, but our understanding of how they achieve this without rigid components remains incomplete. Here, we develop new all-optical methods based on optical interference in a deformable substrate to measure ground reaction forces (GRFs) with micrometre and nanonewton precision in behaving Drosophila larvae. Combining this with a kinematic analysis of substrate-interfacing features, we shed new light onto the biomechanical control of larval locomotion. Crawling in larvae measuring ~1 mm in length involves an intricate pattern of cuticle sequestration and planting, producing GRFs of 1-7 µN. We show that larvae insert and expand denticulated, feet-like structures into substrates as they move, a process not previously observed in soft-bodied animals. These 'protopodia' form dynamic anchors to compensate counteracting forces. Our work provides a framework for future biomechanics research in soft-bodied animals and promises to inspire improved soft-robot design.

Harmonics-assisted optical phase amplifier

The change in the relative phase between two light fields serves as a basic principle for the measurement of the physical quantity that guides this change. It would therefore be highly advantageous if the relative phase could be amplified to enhance the measurement resolution. One well-known method for phase amplification involves the use of the multi-photon number and path-entangled state known as the NOON state; however, a high-number NOON state is very difficult to prepare and is highly sensitive to optical losses. Here we propose and experimentally demonstrate in principle a phase amplifier scheme with the assistance of a harmonic generation process. The relative phase difference between two polarization modes in a polarized interferometer is amplified coherently four times with cascaded second-harmonic generation processes. We demonstrate that these amplification processes can be recycled and therefore have the potential to realize much higher numbers of multiple amplification steps. The phase amplification method presented here shows considerable advantages over the method based on NOON states and will be highly promising for use in precision optical measurements.

Nanoscale Tracking Combined with Cell-Scale Microrheology Reveals Stepwise Increases in Force Generated by Cancer Cell Protrusions

In early breast cancer progression, cancer cells invade through a nanoporous basement membrane (BM) as a first key step toward metastasis. This invasion is thought to be mediated by a combination of proteases, which biochemically degrade BM matrix, and physical forces, which mechanically open up holes in the matrix. To date, techniques that quantify cellular forces of BM invasion in 3D culture have been unavailable. Here, we developed cellular-force measurements for breast cancer cell invasion in 3D culture that combine multiple-particle tracking of force-induced BM-matrix displacements at the nanoscale, and magnetic microrheometry of localized matrix mechanics. We find that cancer-cell protrusions exert forces from picoNewtons up to nanoNewtons during invasion. Strikingly, the protrusions extension involves stepwise increases in force, in steps of 0.2 to 0.5 nN exerted from every 30 s to 6 min. Thus, this technique reveals previously unreported dynamics of force generation by invasive protrusions in cancer cells.

Shining a Light on Cancer - Photonics in Microfluidic Tumor Modelling and Biosensing

Microfluidic platforms represent a powerful approach to miniaturizing important characteristics of cancers, improving in vitro testing by increasing physiological relevance. Different tools can manipulate cells and materials at the microscale, but few offer the efficiency and versatility of light and optical technologies. Moreover, light-driven technologies englobe a broad toolbox for quantifying critical biological phenomena. Herein, we review the role of photonics in microfluidic 3D cancer modeling and biosensing from three major perspectives. First, we look at optical-driven technologies that allow biomaterials and living cells to be manipulated with micro-sized precision and the opportunities to advance 3D microfluidic models by engineering cancer microenvironments' hallmarks, such as their architecture, cellular complexity, and vascularization. Second, we delve into the growing field of optofluidics, exploring how optical tools can directly interface microfluidic chips, enabling the extraction of relevant biological data, from single fluorescent signals to the complete 3D imaging of diseased cells within microchannels. Third, we review advances in optical cancer biosensing, focusing on how light-matter interactions can detect biomarkers, rare circulating tumor cells, and cell-derived structures such as exosomes. We overview photonic technologies' current challenges and caveats in microfluidic 3D cancer models, outlining future research avenues that may catapult the field. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.