| Grant number: | 18/20910-5 |
| Support Opportunities: | Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate |
| Start date: | April 01, 2019 |
| End date: | January 31, 2023 |
| Field of knowledge: | Interdisciplinary Subjects |
| Principal Investigator: | Adriano Mesquita Alencar |
| Grantee: | Jennifer Adriane dos Santos |
| Host Institution: | Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil |
| Associated research grant: | 13/17368-0 - Cardiovascular genomics: mechanisms & novel therapeutics - CVGen mech2ther, AP.TEM |
Abstract Among the several problems considered when studying the rheological properties of living cells, we can cite the mechanical characterization and the response of cardiac cells, or cardiomyocytes, a theme with strong scientific appeal and few papers found in the literature. It is known that the active regulation of cell forces during adhesion plays an important role in determining the size, shape and internal structure of cells. We intend to analyze these parameters through rheological and standardization techniques in order to understand the functional mechanisms in which the cell behaves and responds to the surrounding microenvironment. One of the techniques we will use is the micropatterning, which consists of a method that enables the production of microscopic patterns for the confinement of cells. Traction force and viscoelasticity measurements of the adhered cell cytoskeleton will be performed on the micropatterning using Traction Force Microscopy (TFM) and Magnetic Twisting Optical Cytometry (OMTC) techniques. To do so, we will use polyacrylamide substrates where matrigel/ vitronectin/ laminin micropatterns will be produced and incorporated through a PDMS template. Considering that this method allows determining the spatial distribution of the extracellular matrix (ECM), we can apply it to investigate and control the shape, structure and function of the cells through the chosen experimental design, being an efficient tool to study the sensitivity and the response of a cell to microenvironmental stimuli, such as mechanical and electrical stimuli. We will use the method to evaluate the effect of these stimuli applied to cardiomyocytes in culture with the objective of evaluating the mechanics of the cellular phenotype, characterized by viscoelasticity, traction forces and contraction power properties. | |
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