ABSTRACT
Living cells in the human body are constantly subjected to mechanical stimulation throughout life. The origin of stresses and strains can arise from both the external environment and internal physiological conditions. Thereby, cells can respond to mechanical stimulation in a variety of ways depending on the magnitude, direction, and distribution of mechanical stimuli. To understand how cells mechanically respond to physical loads, there is a need to control the mechanical stress exerted on studied cells. This can be achieved ex vivo, in living cell experiments. A number of micromanipulation techniques have been purposely developed, notably magnetic twisting cytometry (MTC), micropipette aspiration, optical tweezers (OT), atomic force microscopy (AFM) indentation, cytoindentation or microplaques, and fluid shear flow.
