The cell microenvironment has emerged as a key determinant of cell behavior and function
in development, physiology, and pathophysiology. The extracellular matrix (ECM) within the …

Although the biological functions of cell and tissue can be regulated by biochemical factors
(eg, growth factors, hormones), the biophysical effects of materials on the regulation of …

The mechanical properties of cells influence their cellular and subcellular functions,
including cell adhesion, migration, polarization, and differentiation, as well as organelle …

The mechanical phenotype of a cell is an inherent biophysical marker of its state and
function, with many applications in basic and applied biological research. Microfluidics …

Multicellular aggregates of circulating tumor cells (CTC clusters) are potent initiators of
distant organ metastasis. However, it is currently assumed that CTC clusters are too large to …

Solid tumours are often first diagnosed by palpation, suggesting that the tumour is more rigid
than its surrounding environment. Paradoxically, individual cancer cells appear to be softer …

The minimal structural unit of a solid tumor is a single cell or a cellular compartment such as
the nucleus. A closer look inside the cells reveals that there are functional compartments or …

When cells move using integrin-based focal adhesions, they pull in the direction of motion
with large,∼ 100 Pa, stresses that contract the substrate. Integrin-mediated adhesions …

Intratumoral heterogeneity is a major ongoing challenge in the effective therapeutic targeting
of cancer. Accumulating evidence suggests that a fraction of cells within a tumor termed …

Microfluidic detection methods for cell deformability cytometry have been regarded as
powerful tools for single‐cell analysis of cellular mechanical phenotypes, thus having been …