Influence of substrate stiffness on the cellular mechanical properties

Physical cues from cellular external environment, especially substrate stiffness, have gradually been recognized as key factors that could mediate some cell behaviors and its physiological processes. In this study, atomic force microscopy was used to investigate the influence of substrate stiffness on cellular mechanical properties, which were regarded as potential indicators for early detection of tumor. Our results showed that the viscoelasticity of breast cancer cells was significantly lower than that of breast epithelial cells in the hard substrate, while the viscoelasticity of ovarian cancer cells did not change with substrate change. It can be seen that substrate stiffness indeed plays an important role in the development of tumor, which could be attribute to its regulation of the cellular mechanical properties.