Devising an Optimal Procedure for Studying the Correlation Between Contractile Force and Cytoskeletal Stiffness in Cells

This report outlines the formulation of a procedure to study the relationship between cytoskeletal stiffness and contractile force within a cell. The methodology combines Traction Force Microscopy (TFM) to quantify traction stresses and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to characterize local cell stiffness. By combining AFM and TFM techniques on the same cell, we may better understand how forces propagate within the cell during movement. A detailed look into cell mechanics may provide new insights into how cells move during metastasis, paving the way for new methods for diagnostics and therapy