Longitudinal evaluation of the mechanical properties of biomineralized osteoblasts

Understanding how biomineralization occurs in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of bone cells is crucial to the development of a successfully engineered bone tissue scaffold, and to date there has not been a well-established method for the quantitative examination of bone mineralization in situ. We investigated the mechanical properties of MC3T3-E1 osteoblast-like cells in vitro using shear modulation force microscopy (SMFM). The elastic modulus of the mineralizing cells increased at time points corresponding to mineral production, whereas that of the non-mineralizing cells did not vary significantly over time.