In a new review out this month in Cancers led by TIME Lab graduate student Julian Najera, we explain how to use atomic force microscopy (AFM) to measure tumor mechanical properties in cells, tissues, animals, and even in patients. Cancerous tissues have long been observed to have altered viscoelastic material properties compared to normal healthy tissues. These mechanopathologies fuel tumor progression; thus, researchers need robust methods to measure and study these properties. Here, we collaborated with AME assistant professor and AFM-expert Matthew Rosenberger to provide detailed quantitative and experimental frameworks for establishing nanomechanical signatures of cancer that can serve as predictive/prognostic biomarkers of disease and treatment outcomes.
Originally published by at timelab.nd.edu on June 22, 2023.