Photonic Crystal Array Enhanced Cellular Force Microscopy for High-Throughput Detection of Regulated Cell Death and Cytopathic Effects

Regulated cell death (RCD) is pivotal in developmental biology, disease pathology, target identification, and drug discovery. Existing RCD detection methods, reliant on biomarkers and fluorescent staining, are often cumbersome and limited to end point assessments. To enable real-time monitoring of RCD progression, we introduce an array-based photonic crystal cellular force microscopy (PCCFM) platform. This innovative system utilizes a series of photonic crystal patterns, varying in area and shape, to translate micro- to nanoscale cellular deformations during RCD into discernible color shifts in the photonic crystals. The implementation of this array architecture enhances the photonic crystal substrate’s utilization efficiency, facilitating the seamless transition between multiple fields of view during detection. This advancement overcomes the constraints of single-field observation. Here, we report the continuous changes in single-cell mechanics during RCD and the changes in the cell layer mechanics during cytopathic effects (CPE), revealing that these changes are associated with cytoskeletal movement. Moreover, our PCCFM approach provides real-time, in situ detection of RCD, overcoming limitations of conventional LIVE/DEAD staining and biomarker assessments by detecting changes at an earlier stage. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that PCCFM can detect CPE approximately 24 h earlier than bright-field microscopy-based observations. As a nonspecific, in situ, and real-time cellular force detection tool, PCCFM enables early detection of RCD and can be applied to high-throughput drug screening and early identification of CPE.