Many physiological and patophysiological processes alter the biomechanical processes of the tissues they affect. Changes in the mechanical properties of tissues may be manifest at the single cell level. In fact, alteration of cell mechanical properties have been reported in certain forms of cancer, arthritis and cardiovascular disease. Cell membrane can be considered a biosensor which reveals biochemical or physiological alterations of the cell.
Constitutive behavior of living cells is in deep relationship with their biological properties. For this reason, gathering the most detailed information on cell mechanical behavior as it is feasible may turn extremely useful in assessing therapeutic protocols. However, investigation of elastic properties of living cells is a fairly complicated process that requires the use of advanced sensing devices. For example, atomic force microscopy (AFM) is a research tool largely used by biomedical engineers and biophysicists for studying cell mechanics. Experimental data can be given in input to finite element models to predict cell behavior and to simulate the tissue response to biophysical, chemical or pharmacological stimuli of different nature.
The aim of this paper is to develop a basic finite element model of a cell structure comprised of regions possessing different elastic properties. Those properties have been previously determined through nano-indentation tests carried out with an AFM device. Experimental results are properly processed and then given in input to the numerical model.