Impact of Experimental Parameters on Cell–Cell Force Spectroscopy Signature

Atomic force microscopy is an extremely versatile technique, featuring atomic-scale imaging resolution, and also offering the possibility to probe interaction forces down few pN. Recently, this technique has been specialized study between single living cells, one on substrate, a second being adhered cantilever. Cell–cell spectroscopy offers unique tool investigate in fine detail intra-cellular interactions, it holds great promise elucidate elusive phenomena physiology pathology. Here we present systematic of effect main measurement parameters cell–cell curves, showing importance controlling experimental conditions. Moreover, simple theoretical interpretation proposed, based number contacts formed two interacting cells. The results show that experiments carry wealth information can be exploited understand inner dynamics cells at molecular level.