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Article

Integrated Study of Morphology and Viscoelastic Properties in the MG-63 Cancer Cell Line

by
Guadalupe Vázquez-Cisneros
1,
Daniel F. Zambrano-Gutierrez
2,
Grecia C. Duque-Gimenez
1,
Alejandro Flores-Mayorga
1,
Diana G. Zárate-Triviño
3,
Cristina Rodríguez-Padilla
3,
Marco A. Bedolla
4,
Jorge Luis Menchaca
1,
Juan Gabriel Avina-Cervantes
5,* and
Maricela Rodríguez-Nieto
1,6,*
1
Centro de Investigación en Ciencias Físico Matemáticas, Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Universidad s/n, San Nicolás de los Garza 66450, Nuevo León, Mexico
2
School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Av. Eugenio Garza Sada 2501, Col. Tecnológico, Monterrey 64700, Nuevo León, Mexico
3
Laboratorio de Inmunología y Virología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Universidad s/n, San Nicolás de los Garza 66450, Nuevo León, Mexico
4
Facultad de Ciencias Físico Matemáticas, Universidad Autónoma de Chiapas, Carretera Zapata Km. 8, Rancho San Francisco, Tuxtla Gutiérrez 29050, Chiapas, Mexico
5
Telematics and Digital Signal Processing Research Groups (CAs), Engineering Division, Campus Irapuato-Salamanca, University of Guanajuato, Carr. Salamanca-Valle de Santiago km 3.5 + 1.8 km, Comunidad de Palo Blanco, Salamanca 36885, Guanajuato, Mexico
6
Investigadoras e Investigadores por México, Secretaría de Ciencia, Humanidades, Tecnología e Innovación (SECIHTI), Av. Insurgentes Sur 1582, Col. Crédito Constructor, Alcaldía Benito Juárez, Ciudad de México 03940, Mexico
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Technologies 2026, 14(1), 60; https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies14010060
Submission received: 11 December 2025 / Revised: 1 January 2026 / Accepted: 12 January 2026 / Published: 14 January 2026
(This article belongs to the Topic Bio-Inspired, Biomedical, Surgical, Social and AI-Integrated Bio-Mechanical Robotics)
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Abstract

Cell morphology and its mechanical properties are crucial factors in cancer development, affecting migration, invasiveness, and the potential risk of metastasis. However, most studies address these aspects separately, limiting the understanding of how morphological complexity relates to cellular mechanics. This work presents an integrated approach that simultaneously quantifies morphology and viscoelasticity in the human osteosarcoma cell line MG-63. Stress–relaxation experiments and optical imaging of the same cells were performed using a custom-built system that couples Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) with an inverted optical microscope. Morphometric parameters were extracted from cell contours, while viscoelastic properties were obtained by fitting AFM data to the Fractional Kelvin (FK) and Fractional Zener (FZ) models. Among the morphological descriptors, the Shape Complexity (SC) was proposed. It is derived from the Lobe Contribution Elliptical Fourier Analysis (LOCO-EFA), which captures fine-scale contour features overlooked by conventional metrics. Experimental results show that, in MG-63 cells, higher SC values are associated with greater stiffness, indicating a correlation between cell shape complexity and cell stiffness. Furthermore, loading-rate analysis shows that the FZ model captures strain-rate-dependent stiffening more effectively than the FK model. This methodology provides a first approach to jointly analyzing quantitative morphological parameters and mechanical properties, underlining the importance of combined studies to achieve a comprehensive understanding of cell behavior.
Keywords: shape complexity; morphological classification; morphometrics; viscoelastic modeling; cellular mechanics; osteosarcoma shape complexity; morphological classification; morphometrics; viscoelastic modeling; cellular mechanics; osteosarcoma

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MDPI and ACS Style

Vázquez-Cisneros, G.; Zambrano-Gutierrez, D.F.; Duque-Gimenez, G.C.; Flores-Mayorga, A.; Zárate-Triviño, D.G.; Rodríguez-Padilla, C.; Bedolla, M.A.; Menchaca, J.L.; Avina-Cervantes, J.G.; Rodríguez-Nieto, M. Integrated Study of Morphology and Viscoelastic Properties in the MG-63 Cancer Cell Line. Technologies 2026, 14, 60. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies14010060

AMA Style

Vázquez-Cisneros G, Zambrano-Gutierrez DF, Duque-Gimenez GC, Flores-Mayorga A, Zárate-Triviño DG, Rodríguez-Padilla C, Bedolla MA, Menchaca JL, Avina-Cervantes JG, Rodríguez-Nieto M. Integrated Study of Morphology and Viscoelastic Properties in the MG-63 Cancer Cell Line. Technologies. 2026; 14(1):60. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies14010060

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vázquez-Cisneros, Guadalupe, Daniel F. Zambrano-Gutierrez, Grecia C. Duque-Gimenez, Alejandro Flores-Mayorga, Diana G. Zárate-Triviño, Cristina Rodríguez-Padilla, Marco A. Bedolla, Jorge Luis Menchaca, Juan Gabriel Avina-Cervantes, and Maricela Rodríguez-Nieto. 2026. "Integrated Study of Morphology and Viscoelastic Properties in the MG-63 Cancer Cell Line" Technologies 14, no. 1: 60. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies14010060

APA Style

Vázquez-Cisneros, G., Zambrano-Gutierrez, D. F., Duque-Gimenez, G. C., Flores-Mayorga, A., Zárate-Triviño, D. G., Rodríguez-Padilla, C., Bedolla, M. A., Menchaca, J. L., Avina-Cervantes, J. G., & Rodríguez-Nieto, M. (2026). Integrated Study of Morphology and Viscoelastic Properties in the MG-63 Cancer Cell Line. Technologies, 14(1), 60. https://doi.org/10.3390/technologies14010060

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