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bioRxiv · 10.64898/2026.10.29.762767

RBC Deformability During Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treatment

Pesen, T.·Koc, Y.·Bagislar, B. B.·Alhan, N.·Akgun, B.
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Abstract

Philadelphia chromosome positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph+ ALL) is the most common genetic subgroup in adult ALL, and its incidence increases with age. In this longitudinal single-subject study, we investigate erythrocyte deformability as a disease-associated biomechanical marker in parallel with clinical, hematological, and molecular response throughout the treatment process in a 75-year-old patient diagnosed with Ph+ ALL. Using optical tweezers, we performed high-resolution single-cell mechanical stretching experiments to quantify the deformability of individual RBCs obtained from the patient and a healthy control. Our measurements reveal a pronounced relation between state of diseases/therapy and RBC deformability in the ALL patient, indicating systemic alterations in cellular biomechanics associated with leukemic pathophysiology. These findings suggest that changes in RBC mechanical properties, probed through non-invasive optical tweezers-based techniques, may accompany disease presence and progression.

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Pesen, T., Koc, Y., Bagislar, B. B., Alhan, N., Akgun, B.. 2026-10-30. RBC Deformability During Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Treatment. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.10.29.762767

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