Quantitatively evaluating the adhesive strength of nerve cells
Nerve cells transmit signals to other nerve cells by connecting axons called neurites. To elongated the axon, its adhesion strength to the substrate is important. In this study, femtosecond laser-induced impulsive force was applied to detach the neurite from the substrate. The axon elongation is discussed in terms of the adhesive strength of the neurite evaluated from the magnitude of the applied impulsive force.
Establishment of a method quantitatively evaluating the adhesive strength using femtosecond laser and RICM
To understand the adhesion of cells, it is necessary to measure accurately the cell attached area on the substrate. In this context, we use a confocal reflection interference microscope (RICM) that visualize the distance between the substrate and the cell membrane based on the interference of the reflected light from those two planes. By measuring the cell attached area which is modified with the femtosecond laser impulse, we quantitatively evaluate the detachment kinetics of the cell, and investigate the effect of various adhesion molecules on the adhesion strength.