Functionalised AFM Probes for the Investigation of Integrin Distribution on the Surface of Osteosarcoma-Derived Osteoblasts

Integrens are transmembrane glycoproteins made of non-covalently bonded alpha and beta chains involved in fundamental biological processes such as cell growth, tissue development and wound repair. The expression of proper cell surface receptors plays a pivotal role to promote such phenomena. To this regard the possibility to investigate cell membrane at the single molecule level is of high potential in the field of cell biology and tissue engineering to gain insights into molecular mechanisms governing cell functions and tissue regeneration. In this work functionalized Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) probes have been successfully developed and tested for the detection of integrins expressed on the surface of a line of osteosarcoma-derived osteoblasts named MG-63. The obtained results demonstrate the high potential of the AFM technique for the investigation of cell surface functional molecules at the nanoscale.