Discrimination of minimal residual disease in acute lymphoblastic leukemia by using single-beam acoustic tweezer

Cellular functions, for example proliferation, migration or gene expression, usually accompany a relationship with their mechanical properties. Three main methods, including atomic force microscopy (AFM), optical tweezer and magnetic tweezers, have been developed to measure cell's mechanics. However, AFM needs to contact cell resulting in prominent physical changes in elasticity and a pericellular layer of cells. Optical tweezer could damage cells by increasing the temperature generated from the applied laser. Although magnetic tweezers show an enough trapping force, the cytoplasm of a cell has to be loaded magnetic beads as the main drawback. Acoustic tweezer can provide enough trapping force and good penetration deep with a non-contact situation. Minimal residual disease (MRD) is a small number of leukemia cells which still remain in the patients after chemotherapeutical treatment. None of the tests can with an enough sensitivity be used to detect MRD cells. Single-beam acoustic tweezer was performed to generate a radiation force to study whether MRD cells can be discriminated from acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells.