The identification and understanding of the physical and chemical determinants of diseases, typically at the level of tissues and their constituents (cells and extracellular matrix, ECM), represent a potential breakthrough in nanomedicine because it would allow developing effective early diagnostic methods and, ideally, preventive strategies. In particular, there is a growing evidence of the role of mechanics in cell biology related to various stresses and diseases. Phys2BioMed aims therefore at identifying and collecting mechanical markers, which allow for the early detection of cell and tissue dysfunction and the onset of diseases.
Phys2BioMed will offer excellent interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral training to a team of motivated early stage researchers (ESRs) on the application of cutting-edge physical tools for the mechanical phenotyping of cells and tissues of clinical relevance, aiming at developing novel early-diagnostic tools.
A key element is the peer-to-peer collaboration of research academic institutions with industries and world-leading medical and clinical centers, who will highlight unmet clinical needs.
Phys2BioMed will provide scientific and technological outcomes on biomechanics, and the mechanical determinants of diseases, by:
- Defining standardized procedures for nanomechanical measurements, and the main features of new-generation instrumentation optimized for the mechanical phenotyping of clinical specimens;
- providing, in the longer-term, the platform and know-how to build a data bank of mechanical fingerprints of diseases, for the development of effective early-diagnostic tools.
Specific scientific and technological objectives of the research programme:
- To establish the mechanical and rheological fingerprints of cells and tissues and their alterations in diseases. Phys2BioMed will produce comprehensive nano-mechanical and rheological phenotypes of cells and tissues to define mechanical fingerprints of specific diseases. The main approach used will be based on atomic force microscopy (AFM) coupled to different methods such as microfluidic cytometry, non-AFM nano-indentation and structural inspection.
- To establish procedures, models, and standards for assessments of cell and tissue nano-mechanical properties. The approach will reside in defining standard procedures for mechanical tests, sample preparation and data analysis. Databases will be launched to be open to the scientific community.
- To correlate the output of the mechanical and rheological phenotyping of clinical samples (ECMs, cells, tissues) to specific clinical features of the selected diseases, so to define heuristic mechanical fingerprints to be used as early-diagnostic cues.
