Biosensors for Studies on Adhesion-Mediated Cellular Responses to Their Microenvironment

Abstract

Cells interact with their microenvironment by constantly sensing mechanical and chemical cues converting them into biochemical signals. These processes allow cells to respond and adapt to changes in their environment, and are crucial for most cellular functions. Understanding the mechanism underlying this complex interplay at the cell-matrix interface is of fundamental value to decipher key biochemical and mechanical factors regulating cell fate. The combination of material science and surface chemistry aided in the creation of controllable environments to study cell mechanosensing and mechanotransduction. Biologically inspired materials tailored with specific bioactive molecules, desired physical properties and tunable topography have emerged as suitable tools to study cell behavior. Among these materials, synthetic cell interfaces with built-in sensing capabilities are highly advantageous to measure biophysical and biochemical interaction between cells and their environment. In this review, we discuss the design of micro and nanostructured biomaterials engineered not only to mimic the structure, properties, and function of the cellular microenvironment, but also to obtain quantitative information on how cells sense and probe specific adhesive cues from the extracellular domain. This type of responsive biointerfaces provides a readout of mechanics, biochemistry, and electrical activity in real time allowing observation of cellular processes with molecular specificity. Specifically designed sensors based on advanced optical and electrochemical readout are discussed. We further provide an insight into the emerging role of multifunctional micro and nanosensors to control and monitor cell functions by means of material design.

Generation and evaluation of input values for computational analysis of transport processes within tissue cultures

“…An overview of sensor techniques is given in Table 3 . For a detailed explanation of the working principles, pros and cons, and specific applications, see [ 58 , 59 , 62 , 63 ].…”

Functional blood cell analysis by label-free biosensors and single-cell technologies

“…As avidity sums up the binding force in between receptors of the cells and their ligands, these techniques provide an important tool for studying these interactions. Further techniques to study single cell adhesion force are discussed in detail in the recent review by Ungai-Salánki et al [44] Shinde et al [107] and Saffioti et al [18].…”

“…This number can be possibly further increased, however, the reagent costs and trained personnel requirements may limit its use outside of specialized laboratories. Most FC assays are performed in solution, while activation of white blood cells mainly occurs on the surface of substrates, where adhesion of the cells plays a crucial role in their activation [18].…”

The Influence of Electrode Design on Detecting the Effects of Ferric Ammonium Citrate (FAC) on Pre-Osteoblast through Electrical Cell-Substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS)

“…The electric field path formed by the excitation signal between the electrodes is impeded, and reflected in the response signal. When cells are stimulated to change their function, the accompanying changes in cell status alter the impedance [ 1 , 2 ]. Compared with fluorescence and optical methods [ 3 ], ECIS does not need extra cell labeling, and is considered as a non-invasive method for continuous cell assay.…”