[MOS] November 1
Zina Queen
zqueen at MIT.EDU
Mon Oct 31 11:50:31 EST 2005
Seminar on
Modern Optics and Spectroscopy
Subra Suresh, MIT
Nanomechanics and human disease states
Grier Room, 34-401
November 1, 2005
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Abstract:
We explore coupling among nanomechanics, biology and medicine at the
cell and subcellular levels by investigating: the molecular changes
induced by invasion of parasites or from exposure to chemicals
occurring naturally in the human body, the consequent changes in the
mechanical response of the cell, and possible implications for
disease progression. The two cases considered are: human red blood
cells invaded by the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum and
Panc-1 pancreatic cancer cells. In the former case, it is shown by
recourse to large deformation optical tweezers stretching at the
picoNewton force level that parasitization leads to significant
stiffening of the red blood cell. Possible consequences for
biological and physiological responses are probed. These in vitro
studies are also accompanied by in vivo experiments performed using a
mouse model. Experiments specifically designed to explore the
contributions to cell mechanical response from specific proteins
transferred from the parasite to the cell cytoskeleton are also
undertaken using studies of cloned parasites with protein knock-outs.
The presentation will conclude by demonstrating very different
chemomechanical pathways associated with the mechanical response of
the Panc-1 cell and their implications for tumor metastasis.
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