Rumprecht, Laura
[Author]
;
Otto, Oliver
[Degree supervisor];
Greinacher, Andreas
[Degree supervisor];
Bugert, Peter
[Degree supervisor];
Assinger, Alice
[Degree supervisor]Universität Greifswald
Application of biophysical methods to assess the role of platelet cytoskeletal proteins in platelet biomechanics
The biomechanical (Young's modulus, adhesion force, deformability) properties of platelets depend on the cytoskeleton and have an undisputed influence on physiological and pathological processes such as hemostasis and thrombosis. The alterations of these biomechanical properties can be used as label-free diagnostic markers in initiation or progressive diseases such as MYH9-inherited disease. Therefore, the focus of my thesis was to investigate the relationship between the changes in platelet cytoskeleton proteins and the resulting biomechanical properties using biophysical methods. In the first chapter of my thesis I focused on my review of the biophysical methods that are most commonly used to assess and quantify the biomechanical properties of platelets. In this review, I provide an in-depth insight into the governing principles and instrumentation setup and discuss relevant examples applied to platelet mechanics. In addition, my review also summarizes the limitations of these biophysical methods and highlight latest improvements. The review covers the following techniques: micropipette aspiration, atomic force microscopy (AFM), scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM), tensile force microscopy on hydrogel substrates, microcolumns, and deformable 3D substrates, and real-time deformability cytometry (RT-DC). This review is directed toward clinician scientists who are interested in exploring applications of single-cell based biophysical approaches in unraveling the role of ...