The Role of Cell Membrane Strain in Sonoporation Characterised by Microfluidic-based Single-cell Analysis

In the present study we have investigated the sonoporation dynamics in a single cell using a novel microfluidic-based approach. Our methodology has successfully addressed the biophysical mechanisms underlying US-induced cell membrane sonoporation by performing in situ measurement of localised cell membrane deformation, and simultaneous quantification of both intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca 2+ ]i) and transmembrane transfer of extracellular membrane-impermeable probes. We have highlighted novel aspects of microbubble-cluster dynamics combined with localised cell membrane strain, which could be responsible for membrane permeabilisation and transmembrane pore formation correlated with the transduction of intracellular biochemical signals (i.e. [Ca 2+ ]i influx) as a result of microbubble-cell interaction.