Evaluation of cell and matrix mechanics using fluorescence excitation spectroscopy: Feasibility study in collagen gels containing fibroblasts
Wausau, WI (June 22, 2016) Research conducted by Juan Pablo Padilla-Martinez PhD; Ruisheng Wang BS; and Walfre Franco PhD was selected as Editor’s Choice in the April 2016 issue of Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (LSM).
The manuscript titled, “Evaluation of cell and matrix mechanics using fluorescence excitation spectroscopy: Feasibility study in collagen gels containing fibroblasts” was published in LSM, the official journal of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS).
Collagen gels containing cells are commonly used in tissue engineering, wound healing, and cancer research. Collagen is an abundant and important component of the extracellular matrix (ECM). The objective of the study was to investigate the feasibility of using the endogenous, or innate, fluorescence of collagen gels containing fibroblasts as an optical marker to evaluate changes in the mechanical properties of the ECM.
“In a model system of fibroblasts in collagen gels, we demonstrate that the fluorescence intensity ascribed to cross-links of collagen increases as the cells increase the stiffness of the extracellular matrix by remodeling. This approach is unique in that it uses one-photon molecular fluorescence to probe the mechanical structure of the extracellular matrix, and novel in that it proposes to use the concentration of fluorescent structural proteins as a marker for biomechanics.” stated Dr. Walfre.
Dr. Walfre Franco’s research interests include wound healing and care, which unquestionably poses many unsolved problems. Dr. Franco’s research exploits the fluorescence of molecules native to tissue to develop functional and structural optical methods for evaluating closure and remodeling of wounds in a clinical setting. Dr. Franco attended graduate school at the University of Notre Dame and specialized in heat transfer and fluid mechanics. Thereafter, he trained in lasers in dermatology at the University of California Irvine and Riverside, and worked in the Bay Area industry developing non-invasive energy devices for targeting deep tissues. Dr. Franco currently holds a junior faculty appointment at the Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School.
Editor’s Choice is an exclusive article published in LSM, the official journal of the ASLMS. View the complete manuscript.
The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS) is the largest multi-disciplinary professional organization, dedicated to the development and application of lasers and related technology for health care applications. ASLMS promotes excellence in patient care by advancing biomedical application of lasers and other related technologies worldwide. Currently, ASLMS has over 4,000 members, including physicians and surgeons representing more than 51 specialties, physicists involved in product development, biomedical engineers, biologists, nurses, industry representatives and manufacturers.