Effect of Cancer Drug LHRH-PE40 on the Elasticity of Living HeLa Cells

The quantitative analysis of biomechanical profiles at the single-cell level can provide additional information. The careful analysis of biomechanical properties at the single-cell level can provide additional information that is usually not available using traditional biological methods, but may be crucial to assess and understand tumor progress and response to chemotherapy. In this study, the on-line changes of cell elasticity during the exposure to immunotoxin LHRH-PE40 were monitored by atomic force microscopy (AFM) on living HeLa cell surface under physiological condition. The results from AFM based force spectroscopy showed that LHRH-PE40 induced a distinct increase of the cell surface stiffness of HeLa cells. The fluorescence images implied that the cancer drug LHRH-PE40 would affect the re-organization of actin microfilaments, which led to the increase of the stiffness of HeLa cells.

The on-line changes of cell elasticity during the exposure to anti-cancer drug LHRH-PE40 were monitored on living HeLa cell surface under physiological condition by AFM and fluorescence imaging. The fluorescence images implied that the cancer drug LHRH-PE40 would induce the re-organization of undercellular actin microfilaments.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide