PMSE 58-Engineering microenvironment by layer-by-layer biocomposite films for breast cancer cells controlled growth: Morphostructure and cytomechanics study

Cancer is one of the pathology most studied in the research laboratories all over the world, however it remains nowdays one of the principal cause of death. Worldwide, breast cancer is the second most common type of cancer after lung cancer and the fifth most common cause of cancer death. However, among women in the world, breast cancer is by far the most common cause of cancer, both in incidence and death. Cancer cell growth and proliferation is strongly influenced by microenvironment modifications. One possible nanotechnological way to modify the surface onto which cells adhere and growth is the Layer-by-Layer (LbL) deposition of polyelectrolyte multilayers (PEM). This technique allows building up of films with tunable properties. In this paper we will report our most recent studies by using Scanning Force Microscopy (SFM) combined with high resolution optical microscopy to investigate breast cancer cells morphostructure and cytomechanics. In fact beyond imaging SFM can be employed to probe cell nanomechanical properties. Living and fixed cells have been studied by SFM. Viscoelastic properties of cells grown onto standard substrates (i.e. plastic or glass bottom petri dishes) have been compared with those obtained by growing cells onto biocomposites of PEM and extra cellular matrix components by using Force Mapping Mode. Characteristic elastic Young`s Modulus of cancer cells grown onto standard and modified substrates have been measured. This work supports the potential of nanoassembled LbL films for surface engineering pointing to a novel perspective for cell-material interaction control