Measuring the Microscale Mechanical Properties of Fibrin Fibers and Cancer Cells

Microscale material properties dictate the macroscale behavior of biological systems. Fibrinogen, one of the most abundant proteins in blood, is converted into fibrin fibers that perform the essential mechanical task of stemming the flow of blood. Fibrinogen fibers can be fabricated by a technique called electrospinning. We studied the mechanical properties of dry, electrospun fibrinogen fibers using a combined atomic force/fluorescence microscopy technique. The mechanical properties of these electrospun fibers are important due to their potential use in tissue engineering and their biocompatibility. The same atomic force/fluorescence microscopy technique is used to measure the mechanical properties of fibrin fibers formed from patient plasma. The mechanical properties of blood clots have been related to diseases such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, but the mechanisms responsible for their mechanical properties are not well understood. The glycation of fibrinogen, a marker for glycemic control in diabetic patients, did not affect the mechanical properties of individual fibrin fibers. The modulus of the fibers was found to be directly related to the diameter of the fibers and provides evidence for a non-uniform density of protofibrils within the fiber.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2013

Author dc:creator

• Sigley, Justin Logan

• Cancer

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/39116

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/39116