Power laws in microrheology experiments on living cells: comparative analysis and modelling

We compare and synthesize the results of two microrheological experiments on the cytoskeleton of single cells. In the first one, the creep function J(t) of a cell stretched between two glass plates is measured after applying a constant force step. In the second one, a micrometric bead specifically bound to transmembrane receptors is driven by an oscillating optical trap, and the viscoelastic coefficient $G_e(\omega)$ is retrieved. Both $J(t)$ and $G_e(\omega)$ exhibit power law behavior: $J(t)= A(t/t_0)^\alpha$ and $\bar G_e(\omega)\bar = G_0 (\omega/\omega_0)^\alpha$, with the same exponent $\alpha\approx 0.2$. This power law behavior is very robust ; $\alpha$ is distributed over a narrow range, and shows almost no dependance on the cell type, on the nature of the protein complex which transmits the mechanical stress, nor on the typical length scale of the experiment. On the contrary, the prefactors $A_0$ and $G_0$appear very sensitive to these parameters. Whereas the exponents $\alpha$ are normally distributed over the cell population, the prefactors $A_0$ and $G_0$ follow a log-normal repartition. These results are compared with other data published in the litterature. We propose a global interpretation, based on a semi-phenomenological model, which involves a broad distribution of relaxation times in the system. The model predicts the power law behavior and the statistical repartition of the mechanical parameters, as experimentally observed for the cells. Moreover, it leads to an estimate of the largest response time in the cytoskeletal network: $\tau_m \approx 1000$ s.Comment: 47 pages, 14 figures // v2: PDF file is now Acrobat Reader 4 (and up) compatible // v3: Minor typos corrected - The presentation of the model have been substantially rewritten (p. 17-18), in order to give more details - Enhanced description of protocols // v4: Minor corrections in the text : the immersion angles are estimated and not measured // v5: Minor typos corrected. Two references were clarifie

Association of cetuximab with adverse pulmonary events in cancer patients: a comprehensive review

Compounds derived from biologic sources, or biologicals, are increasingly utilized as therapeutic agents in malignancy. Development of anti-cancer targeted therapies from biologics is increasingly being utilized. Cetuximab, a chimeric monoclonal antibody, is one such anti-cancer targeted therapeutic that has shown efficacy in quelling the rate of patient decline in colorectal, head/neck, and non-small cell lung cancer. However, due to the relatively recent addition of biologic compounds to the therapeutic arsenal, information related to adverse reactions is less well known than those seen in traditional chemotherapeutics. Dermatologic reactions have been demonstrated as the most frequent side effect cited during cetuximab therapy for malignancy; however, other effects may lead to greater morbidity. In general, pulmonary complications of therapeutics can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. The purpose of this review is to compile the various pulmonary side effects seen in patients treated with cetuximab for various malignancies, and to compare the incidence of these adverse reactions to standard therapies

Mixed monolayers of cationic surfactants and anionic polymers at the air-water interface: Surface tension and ellipsometry studies

International audienceEquilibrium surface tension measurements have been carried out on mixed solutions of a non-surface active polyelectrolyte (polyacrylamide sulfonate) and cationic surfactants. A strong synergistic lowering of the surface tension is found in the concentration range where no appreciable complexation of surfactant and polymer occurs in the bulk solution (as seen from viscosity measurements). The surface tension decrease does not depend upon the polymer molecular weight, and there is a limited influence of the surfactant chain length. The influence of the degree of charge of the polymer is more important: for small degree of charge, the complexation is less cooperative, and the structure of the surface complex is looser

Rheological memory effect in aqueous foam

International audienceWe have measured the complex shear modulus G* of aqueous foam before and after applying a strain of the order of the yield strain for a brief period of time. After such a mechanical perturbation we observe transient "strain softening": the real part of G* is smaller than before and as the foam aging process goes on, it slowly relaxes towards the values obtained for quiescent foam. The characteristic time scale of this relaxation increases with the foam age at which the perturbation is applied, following a scaling law

Rheological memory effect in aqueous foam

We have measured the complex shear modulus G* of aqueous foam before and after applying a strain of the order of the yield strain for a brief period of time. After such a mechanical perturbation we observe transient "strain softening”: the real part of G* is smaller than before and as the foam aging process goes on, it slowly relaxes towards the values obtained for quiescent foam. The characteristic time scale of this relaxation increases with the foam age at which the perturbation is applied, following a scaling law

Anionic Polyelectrolyte-Cationic Surfactant Interactions in Aqueous Solutions and Foam Films Stability

International audienceThe objective of this work is to study polymer/surfactant interactions in aqueous solution and at the air/water interface. These interations are involved in many physicochemical phenomena, such as colloidal stabilization and wettability which are of major importance in oil application as for exemple drilling muds. More precisely, we have attempted to characterize interactions between a non surface active anionic copolymer (acrylamide/acrylamide sulfonate) and an oppositely charged cationic surfactant (C12 TAB). Our results show a synergestic surface tension lowering (coadsorption) at extremely low surfactant concentrations (10 to the power of (-3) to 10 to the power of (-1) CMC). At higher concentrations, namely above the so called Critical Aggregation Concentration (CAC), polymer-surfactant complexes form in the bulk and the macromolecules precipitate out of the solution. Foam films made from these mixed solutions are stable while C12TAB films are unstable. Disjoining pressure measurements on mixed films with surfactant concentration two orders of magnitude below the CAC show the existence of long range repulsive forces and a discrete film thickness transition. At the CAC, we obtain mixed films with gel-like networks that are strongly affected by the film thinning rate