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Yan Z, Xia X, Cho WC, Au DW, Shao X, Fang C, Tian Y, Lin Y. Rapid Plastic Deformation of Cancer Cells Correlates with High Metastatic Potential. Adv Healthc Mater 2022; 11:e2101657. [PMID: 35014196 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202101657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 12/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Metastasis plays a crucial role in tumor development, however, lack of quantitative methods to characterize the capability of cells to undergo plastic deformations has hindered the understanding of this important process. Here, a microfluidic system capable of imposing precisely controlled cyclic deformation on cells and therefore probing their viscoelastic and plastic characteristics is developed. Interestingly, it is found that significant plastic strain can accumulate rapidly in highly invasive cancer cell lines and circulating tumor cells (CTCs) from late-stage lung cancer patients with a characteristic time of a few seconds. In constrast, very little irreversible deformation is observed in the less invasive cell lines and CTCs from early-stage lung cancer patients, highlighting the potential of using the plastic response of cells as a novel marker in future cancer study. Furthermore, author showed that the observed irreversible deformation should originate mainly from cytoskeleton damage, rather than plasticity of the cell nucleus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zishen Yan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China
- HKU‐Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation (HKU‐SIRI) Shenzhen Guangdong China
| | - Xingyu Xia
- Department of Mechanical Engineering The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China
- HKU‐Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation (HKU‐SIRI) Shenzhen Guangdong China
| | - William C. Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology Queen Elizabeth Hospital Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Dennis W. Au
- Department of Clinical Oncology Queen Elizabeth Hospital Hong Kong SAR China
| | - Xueying Shao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China
| | - Chao Fang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China
- HKU‐Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation (HKU‐SIRI) Shenzhen Guangdong China
| | - Ye Tian
- Department of Mechanical Engineering The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China
- HKU‐Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation (HKU‐SIRI) Shenzhen Guangdong China
| | - Yuan Lin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong China
- HKU‐Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation (HKU‐SIRI) Shenzhen Guangdong China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre Hong Kong Science Park Shatin, New Territories Hong Kong
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2
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Graybill PM, Bollineni RK, Sheng Z, Davalos RV, Mirzaeifar R. A constriction channel analysis of astrocytoma stiffness and disease progression. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2021; 15:024103. [PMID: 33763160 PMCID: PMC7968935 DOI: 10.1063/5.0040283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Studies have demonstrated that cancer cells tend to have reduced stiffness (Young's modulus) compared to their healthy counterparts. The mechanical properties of primary brain cancer cells, however, have remained largely unstudied. To investigate whether the stiffness of primary brain cancer cells decreases as malignancy increases, we used a microfluidic constriction channel device to deform healthy astrocytes and astrocytoma cells of grade II, III, and IV and measured the entry time, transit time, and elongation. Calculating cell stiffness directly from the experimental measurements is not possible. To overcome this challenge, finite element simulations of the cell entry into the constriction channel were used to train a neural network to calculate the stiffness of the analyzed cells based on their experimentally measured diameter, entry time, and elongation in the channel. Our study provides the first calculation of stiffness for grades II and III astrocytoma and is the first to apply a neural network analysis to determine cell mechanical properties from a constriction channel device. Our results suggest that the stiffness of astrocytoma cells is not well-correlated with the cell grade. Furthermore, while other non-central-nervous-system cell types typically show reduced stiffness of malignant cells, we found that most astrocytoma cell lines had increased stiffness compared to healthy astrocytes, with lower-grade astrocytoma having higher stiffness values than grade IV glioblastoma. Differences in nucleus-to-cytoplasm ratio only partly explain differences in stiffness values. Although our study does have limitations, our results do not show a strong correlation of stiffness with cell grade, suggesting that other factors may play important roles in determining the invasive capability of astrocytoma. Future studies are warranted to further elucidate the mechanical properties of astrocytoma across various pathological grades.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - R. K. Bollineni
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
| | - Z. Sheng
- Department of Internal Medicine, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Virginia Tech Fralin Biomedical Research Institute, Roanoke, Virginia 24016, USA
| | - R. V. Davalos
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: and
| | - R. Mirzaeifar
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061, USA
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: and
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Perea Paizal J, Au SH, Bakal C. Squeezing through the microcirculation: survival adaptations of circulating tumour cells to seed metastasis. Br J Cancer 2021; 124:58-65. [PMID: 33257836 PMCID: PMC7782506 DOI: 10.1038/s41416-020-01176-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
During metastasis, tumour cells navigating the vascular circulatory system-circulating tumour cells (CTCs)-encounter capillary beds, where they start the process of extravasation. Biomechanical constriction forces exerted by the microcirculation compromise the survival of tumour cells within capillaries, but a proportion of CTCs manage to successfully extravasate and colonise distant sites. Despite the profound importance of this step in the progression of metastatic cancers, the factors about this deadly minority of cells remain elusive. Growing evidence suggests that mechanical forces exerted by the capillaries might induce adaptive mechanisms in CTCs, enhancing their survival and metastatic potency. Advances in microfluidics have enabled a better understanding of the cell-survival capabilities adopted in capillary-mimicking constrictions. In this review, we will highlight adaptations developed by CTCs to endure mechanical constraints in the microvasculature and outline how these mechanical forces might trigger dynamic changes towards a more invasive phenotype. A better understanding of the dynamic mechanisms adopted by CTCs within the microcirculation that ultimately lead to metastasis could open up novel therapeutic avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Perea Paizal
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK.
- Division of Cancer Biology, Chester Beatty Laboratories, Institute of Cancer Research, 237 Fulham Road, London, SW6 6JB, UK.
- Cancer Research UK Convergence Science Centre, Roderic Hill Building, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2BB, UK.
| | - Sam H Au
- Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2AZ, UK
- Cancer Research UK Convergence Science Centre, Roderic Hill Building, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2BB, UK
| | - Chris Bakal
- Division of Cancer Biology, Chester Beatty Laboratories, Institute of Cancer Research, 237 Fulham Road, London, SW6 6JB, UK.
- Cancer Research UK Convergence Science Centre, Roderic Hill Building, Imperial College London, London, SW7 2BB, UK.
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McNamee AP, Tansley GD, Simmonds MJ. Sublethal mechanical shear stress increases the elastic shear modulus of red blood cells but does not change capillary transit velocity. Microcirculation 2020; 27:e12652. [DOI: 10.1111/micc.12652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Antony P. McNamee
- Biorheology Research Laboratory Griffith University Gold Coast Qld Australia
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University Gold Coast Qld Australia
| | - Geoff D. Tansley
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University Gold Coast Qld Australia
- School of Engineering and Built Environment Griffith University Gold Coast Qld Australia
| | - Michael J. Simmonds
- Biorheology Research Laboratory Griffith University Gold Coast Qld Australia
- Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University Gold Coast Qld Australia
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Kamyabi N, Huang J, Lee JJ, Bernard V, Semaan A, Stephens B, Hurd MW, Vanapalli SA, Maitra A, Guerrero PA. A microfluidic device for label-free isolation of tumor cell clusters from unprocessed blood samples. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2019; 13:044111. [PMID: 31462955 PMCID: PMC6701978 DOI: 10.1063/1.5111888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Primary cancers disseminate both single circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and CTC "clusters," the latter of which have been shown to demonstrate greater metastatic propensity and adverse impact on prognosis. Many devices developed to isolate single CTCs also capture CTC clusters, but there is translational potential for a platform specifically designed to isolate CTC clusters. Herein, we introduce our microfluidic device for isolating CTC clusters ("Microfluidic Isolation of CTC Clusters" or MICC), which is equipped with ∼10 000 trap chambers that isolate tumor cell clusters based on their large sizes and dynamic force balance against a pillar obstacle in the trap chamber. Whole blood is injected, followed by a wash step to remove blood cells and a final backflush to release intact clusters for downstream analysis. Using clusters from tumor cell-line and confocal microscopy, we verified the ability of the MICC platform to specifically capture tumor cell clusters in the trap chambers. Our flow rate optimization experiments identified 25 μl/min for blood injection, 100 μl/min as wash flow rate, and 300 μl/min as the release flow rate - indicating that 1 ml of whole blood can be processed in less than an hour. Under these optimal flow conditions, we assessed the MICC platform's capture and release performance using blood samples spiked with different concentrations of clusters, revealing a capture efficiency of 66%-87% and release efficiency of 76%-90%. The results from our study suggest that the MICC platform has the potential to isolate CTC clusters from cancer patient blood, enabling it for clinical applications in cancer management.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Siva A. Vanapalli
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA
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Zhang Y, Zhao Y, Chen D, Wang K, Wei Y, Xu Y, Huang C, Wang J, Chen J. Crossing constriction channel-based microfluidic cytometry capable of electrically phenotyping large populations of single cells. Analyst 2019; 144:1008-1015. [PMID: 30648705 DOI: 10.1039/c8an02100g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
This paper presents a crossing constriction channel-based microfluidic system for high-throughput characterization of specific membrane capacitance (Csm) and cytoplasm conductivity (σcy) of single cells. In operations, cells in suspension were forced through the major constriction channel and instead of invading the side constriction channel, they effectively sealed the side constriction channel, which led to variations in impedance data. Based on an equivalent circuit model, these raw impedance data were translated into Csm and σcy. As a demonstration, the developed microfluidic system quantified Csm (3.01 ± 0.92 μF cm-2) and σcy (0.36 ± 0.08 S m-1) of 100 000 A549 cells, which could generate reliable results by properly controlling cell positions during their traveling in the crossing constriction channels. Furthermore, the developed microfluidic impedance cytometry was used to distinguish paired low- and high-metastatic carcinoma cell types of SACC-83 (ncell = ∼100 000) and SACC-LM cells (ncell = ∼100 000), distinguishing significant differences in both Csm (3.16 ± 0.90 vs. 2.79 ± 0.67 μF cm-2) and σcy (0.36 ± 0.06 vs.0.41 ± 0.08 S m-1). As high-throughput microfluidic impedance cytometry, this technique may add a new marker-free dimension to flow cytometry in single-cell analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Transducer Technology, Institute of Electronics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, P.R. China.
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Habibi A, Nalband M, Jalilnejad E. Experimentation and CFD modeling of continuous degradation of formaldehyde by immobilized Ralstonia eutropha in a semi-pilot-scale plug flow bioreactor. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2018; 42:485-497. [PMID: 30539242 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-018-2052-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 11/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This study focuses on continuous formaldehyde (FA) biodegradation by Ralstonia eutropha immobilized on polyurethane foam in a semi-pilot-scale plug flow packed-bed bioreactor. The stepwise increasing of the influent FA concentration from 43.9 to 1325.1 mg L-1 was studied in the bioreactor during 70 days of operation. A complete removal of FA was achieved for inlet concentration up to 425.5 mg L-1 and the initial specific biodegradation rate reached to its maximum value about 44.3 mg gcell-1 h-1 at 425.5 mg L-1. However, further increase of inlet concentration resulted in decrease of the biodegradation performance of the immobilized cells due to the inhibitory effect of FA on the enzymatic system involved in the biodegradation process. Based on kinetic modeling results, the Luong equation with the following constants could best describe the behavior of the bio-system: maximum specific FA biodegradation rate (qmax) of 124 mg gcell-1 h-1, half-saturation constant (KS) of 337.2 mg L-1, maximum degradable FA concentration (Smax) of 1582 mg L-1, and shape factor (n) of 1.49. Also, three-dimensional simulation of the bioreactor was performed using an integrated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach that takes into account both the biokinetic constants of the immobilized system as well as the fluid properties under steady-state condition. Eulerian computations successfully anticipated the concentration gradients through the reactor for different inlet FA concentrations, and uniform vertical velocity pathlines and non-dispersed plug flow inside the reactor were verified by the presented velocity distribution and flow streamlines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Habibi
- Faculty of Petroleum and Chemical Engineering, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran
| | - Mehran Nalband
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Urmia University of Technology, Urmia, Iran
| | - Elham Jalilnejad
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Urmia University of Technology, Urmia, Iran.
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Ahmmed SM, Bithi SS, Pore AA, Mubtasim N, Schuster C, Gollahon LS, Vanapalli SA. Multi-sample deformability cytometry of cancer cells. APL Bioeng 2018; 2:032002. [PMID: 31069319 PMCID: PMC6481721 DOI: 10.1063/1.5020992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Accepted: 05/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing recognition that cell deformability can play an important role in cancer metastasis and diagnostics. Advancement of methods to characterize cell deformability in a high throughput manner and the capacity to process numerous samples can impact cancer-related applications ranging from analysis of patient samples to discovery of anti-cancer compounds to screening of oncogenes. In this study, we report a microfluidic technique called multi-sample deformability cytometry (MS-DC) that allows simultaneous measurement of flow-induced deformation of cells in multiple samples at single-cell resolution using a combination of on-chip reservoirs, distributed pressure control, and data analysis system. Cells are introduced at rates of O(100) cells per second with a data processing speed of 10 min per sample. To validate MS-DC, we tested more than 50 cell-samples that include cancer cell lines with different metastatic potential and cells treated with several cytoskeletal-intervention drugs. Results from MS-DC show that (i) the cell deformability correlates with metastatic potential for both breast and prostate cancer cells but not with their molecular histotype, (ii) the strongly metastatic breast cancer cells have higher deformability than the weakly metastatic ones; however, the strongly metastatic prostate cancer cells have lower deformability than the weakly metastatic counterparts, and (iii) drug-induced disruption of the actin network, microtubule network, and actomyosin contractility increased cancer cell deformability, but stabilization of the cytoskeletal proteins does not alter deformability significantly. Our study demonstrates the capacity of MS-DC to mechanically phenotype tumor cells simultaneously in many samples for cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shamim M. Ahmmed
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA
| | - Swastika S. Bithi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA
| | - Adity A. Pore
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA
| | - Noshin Mubtasim
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA
| | - Caroline Schuster
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA
| | - Lauren S. Gollahon
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA
| | - Siva A. Vanapalli
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409, USA
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Baharlouei A, Jalilnejad E, Sirousazar M. Fixed-bed column performance of methylene blue biosorption by Luffa cylindrica: statistical and mathematical modeling. CHEM ENG COMMUN 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/00986445.2018.1460364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Atefeh Baharlouei
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Urmia University of Technology, Urmia, Iran
| | - Elham Jalilnejad
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Urmia University of Technology, Urmia, Iran
| | - Mohammad Sirousazar
- Faculty of Chemical Engineering, Urmia University of Technology, Urmia, Iran
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