Dynamic Interaction between an AFM Oscillating Cantilever and Human Liver Epithelial Cells: Analysis of Cellular Mechanical Properties

Sadeghi, Ali; Shojaei, Shahrokh; Lafouti, Mansoureh; Mahin Shafie, Farimah

doi:10.66224/masm.2026.2105527.1206

Dynamic Interaction between an AFM Oscillating Cantilever and Human Liver Epithelial Cells: Analysis of Cellular Mechanical Properties

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Ali Sadeghi ¹

Shahrokh Shojaei ²

Mansoureh Lafouti ³

Farimah Mahin Shafie ⁴

¹ Department of Mechanical Engineering, Damavand branch, Islamic Azad University, Damavand, Tehran, Iran

² Associate Professor , Department of Biomedical Engineering, CT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

³ Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Dam.c., Islamic Azad University, Damavand, Iran

⁴ Department of Biomedical Engineering, CT.C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

10.66224/masm.2026.2105527.1206

Abstract

In this study, the nanomechanical properties and dynamic response of healthy and cancerous human liver cells before and after treatments were investigated using atomic force microscopy (AFM). The Young’s modulus of healthy and untreated cancerous cells was measured at 2.940±1.069kPa and 0.785±0.282kPa, respectively. Treatment with cisplatin, atmospheric cold plasma (DBD), and their combined therapy increased the Young’s modulus of cancer cells to 2.218، 2.780 and 3.660±1.811, respectively. Furthermore, the enhanced cellular stiffness induced a shift in the AFM cantilever resonance frequency toward higher values, increasing the first-mode frequency from 3.98 kHz to 4.35 kHz. An analytical model based on Timoshenko beam theory and the DMT contact model showed excellent agreement with experimental and finite element method (FEM) results, with a relative error below 7.205%. These findings demonstrate that coupling nanomechanical characterization with AFM dynamic analysis provides a precise and non-destructive tool for evaluating cancer cell mechanical properties and monitoring therapeutic efficacy.

Keywords

Atomic force microscopy

Liver cancerous cells

Young’s modulus

Cisplatin

Plasma treatment

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