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Fujimoto H, Yoshihara M, Rodgers R, Iyoshi S, Mogi K, Miyamoto E, Hayakawa S, Hayashi M, Nomura S, Kitami K, Uno K, Sugiyama M, Koya Y, Yamakita Y, Nawa A, Enomoto A, Ricciardelli C, Kajiyama H. Tumor-associated fibrosis: a unique mechanism promoting ovarian cancer metastasis and peritoneal dissemination. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2024; 43:1037-1053. [PMID: 38546906 PMCID: PMC11300578 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-024-10169-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 08/06/2024]
Abstract
Epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is often diagnosed in advanced stage with peritoneal dissemination. Recent studies indicate that aberrant accumulation of collagen fibers in tumor stroma has a variety of effects on tumor progression. We refer to remodeled fibrous stroma with altered expression of collagen molecules, increased stiffness, and highly oriented collagen fibers as tumor-associated fibrosis (TAF). TAF contributes to EOC cell invasion and metastasis in the intraperitoneal cavity. However, an understanding of molecular events involved is only just beginning to emerge. Further development in this field will lead to new strategies to treat EOC. In this review, we focus on the recent findings on how the TAF contributes to EOC malignancy. Furthermore, we will review the recent initiatives and future therapeutic strategies for targeting TAF in EOC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Fujimoto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
- Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Adelaide Medical School, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Masato Yoshihara
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
| | - Raymond Rodgers
- School of Biomedicine, Robinson Research Institute, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Shohei Iyoshi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
- Spemann Graduate School of Biology and Medicine, University of Freiburg, Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Kazumasa Mogi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Emiri Miyamoto
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Sae Hayakawa
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Maia Hayashi
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Satoshi Nomura
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kazuhisa Kitami
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Kitasato University School of Medicine, Sagamihara, Japan
| | - Kaname Uno
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
- Division of Clinical Genetics, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Lund University Graduate School of Medicine, Lund, Sweden
| | - Mai Sugiyama
- Bell Research Center-Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Collaborative Research, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yoshihiro Koya
- Bell Research Center-Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Collaborative Research, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yoshihiko Yamakita
- Bell Research Center-Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Collaborative Research, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Akihiro Nawa
- Bell Research Center-Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Collaborative Research, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Atsushi Enomoto
- Department of Pathology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Carmela Ricciardelli
- Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Adelaide Medical School, Robinson Research Institute, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia.
| | - Hiroaki Kajiyama
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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2
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Wang C, Xu Z, Ma X, Yin Y, Cheng B, Dong Y. Exploration of Curvature and Stiffness Dual-Regulated Breast Cancer Cell Motility by a Motor-Clutch Model and Cell Traction Force Characterization. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024. [PMID: 39140610 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.4c09615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/15/2024]
Abstract
The migration of breast cancer cells is the main cause of death and significantly regulated by physical factors of the extracellular matrix (ECM). To be specific, the curvature and stiffness of the ECM were discovered to effectively guide cell migration in velocity and direction. However, it is not clear what the extent of effect is when these dual-physical factors regulate cell migration. Moreover, the mechanobiology mechanism of breast cancer cell migration in the molecular level and analysis of cell traction force (CTF) are also important, but there is a lack of systematic investigation. Therefore, we employed a microfluidic platform to construct hydrogel microspheres with an independently adjustable curvature and stiffness as a three-dimensional substrate for breast cancer cell migration. We found that the cell migration velocity was negatively correlated to curvature and positively correlated to stiffness. In addition, curvature was investigated to influence the focal adhesion expression as well as the assignment of F-actin at the molecular level. Further, with the help of a motor-clutch mathematical model and hydrogel microsphere stress sensors, it was concluded that cells perceived physical factors (curvature and stiffness) to cause changes in CTF, which ultimately regulated cell motility. In summary, we employed a theoretical model (motor-clutch) and experimental strategy (stress sensors) to understand the mechanism of curvature and stiffness regulating breast cancer cell motility. These results provide evidence of force driven cancer cell migration by ECM physical factors and explain the mechanism from the perspective of mechanobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cong Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, P. R. China
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, P. R. China
| | - Zhao Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, P. R. China
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, P. R. China
| | - Xingquan Ma
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, P. R. China
- School of Civil Engineering and Architecture, Xi'an University of Technology, Shaanxi 710048, P. R. China
| | - Yuting Yin
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, P. R. China
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, P. R. China
| | - Bo Cheng
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, P. R. China
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, P. R. China
| | - Yuqing Dong
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, P. R. China
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Shaanxi 710049, P. R. China
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3
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Mungai RW, Hartman RJ, Jolin GE, Piskorowski KW, Billiar KL. Towards a More Objective and High-throughput Spheroid Invasion Assay Quantification Method. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.27.600893. [PMID: 39005385 PMCID: PMC11244881 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.27.600893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Multicellular spheroids embedded in 3D hydrogels are prominent in vitro models for 3D cell invasion. Yet, quantification methods for spheroid cell invasion that are high-throughput, objective and accessible are still lacking. Variations in spheroid sizes and the shapes of the cells within render it difficult to objectively assess invasion extent. The goal of this work is to develop a high-throughput quantification method of cell invasion into 3D matrices that minimizes sensitivity to initial spheroid size and cell spreading and provides precise integrative directionally-dependent metrics of invasion. By analyzing images of fluorescent cell nuclei, invasion metrics are automatically calculated at the pixel level. The initial spheroid boundary is segmented and automated calculations of the nuclear pixel distances from the initial boundary are used to compute common invasion metrics (i.e., the change in invasion area, mean distance) for the same spheroid at a later timepoint. We also introduce the area moment of inertia as an integrative metric of cell invasion that considers the invasion area as well as the pixel distances from the initial spheroid boundary. Further, we show that principal component analysis can be used to quantify the directional influence of a stimuli to invasion (e.g., due to a chemotactic gradient or contact guidance). To demonstrate the power of the analysis for cell types with different invasive potentials and the utility of this method for a variety of biological applications, the method is used to analyze the invasiveness of five different cell types. In all, implementation of this high-throughput quantification method results in consistent and objective analysis of 3D multicellular spheroid invasion. We provide the analysis code in both MATLAB and Python languages as well as a GUI for ease of use for researchers with a range of computer programming skills and for applications in a variety of biological research areas such as wound healing and cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rozanne W. Mungai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA 01605
| | | | - Grace E. Jolin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA 01605
| | - Kevin W. Piskorowski
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA 01605
| | - Kristen L. Billiar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA 01605
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4
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Alshehri AM, Wilson OC. Biomimetic Hydrogel Strategies for Cancer Therapy. Gels 2024; 10:437. [PMID: 39057460 PMCID: PMC11275631 DOI: 10.3390/gels10070437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent developments in biomimetic hydrogel research have expanded the scope of biomedical technologies that can be used to model, diagnose, and treat a wide range of medical conditions. Cancer presents one of the most intractable challenges in this arena due to the surreptitious mechanisms that it employs to evade detection and treatment. In order to address these challenges, biomimetic design principles can be adapted to beat cancer at its own game. Biomimetic design strategies are inspired by natural biological systems and offer promising opportunities for developing life-changing methods to model, detect, diagnose, treat, and cure various types of static and metastatic cancers. In particular, focusing on the cellular and subcellular phenomena that serve as fundamental drivers for the peculiar behavioral traits of cancer can provide rich insights into eradicating cancer in all of its manifestations. This review highlights promising developments in biomimetic nanocomposite hydrogels that contribute to cancer therapies via enhanced drug delivery strategies and modeling cancer mechanobiology phenomena in relation to metastasis and synergistic sensing systems. Creative efforts to amplify biomimetic design research to advance the development of more effective cancer therapies will be discussed in alignment with international collaborative goals to cure cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Awatef M. Alshehri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064, USA
- Department of Nanomedicine, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center (KAIMRC), King Saud bin Abdelaziz University for Health Sciences (KSAU-HS), Ministry of National Guard-Health Affairs (MNGHA), Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia;
| | - Otto C. Wilson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064, USA
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5
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Graziani V, Crosas-Molist E, George SL, Sanz-Moreno V. Organelle adaptations in response to mechanical forces during tumour dissemination. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2024; 88:102345. [PMID: 38479111 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2024.102345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 02/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024]
Abstract
Cell migration plays a pivotal role in various biological processes including cancer dissemination and successful metastasis, where the role of mechanical signals is increasingly acknowledged. This review focuses on the intricate mechanisms through which cancer cells modulate their migratory strategies via organelle adaptations in response to the extracellular matrix (ECM). Specifically, the nucleus and mitochondria emerge as pivotal mediators in this process. These organelles serve as sensors, translating mechanical stimuli into rapid metabolic alterations that sustain cell migration. Importantly, prolonged exposure to such stimuli can induce transcriptional or epigenetic changes, ultimately enhancing metastatic traits. Deciphering the intricate interplay between ECM properties and organelle adaptations not only advances our understanding of cytoskeletal dynamics but also holds promise for the development of innovative anti-metastatic therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vittoria Graziani
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, UK; Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Building, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Eva Crosas-Molist
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, UK; Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Building, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Samantha L George
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, UK; Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Building, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Victoria Sanz-Moreno
- The Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre, The Institute of Cancer Research, London SW3 6JB, UK; Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, John Vane Science Building, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6BQ, UK.
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Farsheed AC, Zevallos-Delgado C, Yu LT, Saeidifard S, Swain JWR, Makhoul JT, Thomas AJ, Cole CC, Garcia Huitron E, Grande-Allen KJ, Singh M, Larin KV, Hartgerink JD. Tunable Macroscopic Alignment of Self-Assembling Peptide Nanofibers. ACS NANO 2024; 18:12477-12488. [PMID: 38699877 PMCID: PMC11285723 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c02030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Progress in the design and synthesis of nanostructured self-assembling systems has facilitated the realization of numerous nanoscale geometries, including fibers, ribbons, and sheets. A key challenge has been achieving control across multiple length scales and creating macroscopic structures with nanoscale organization. Here, we present a facile extrusion-based fabrication method to produce anisotropic, nanofibrous hydrogels using self-assembling peptides. The application of shear force coinciding with ion-triggered gelation is used to kinetically trap supramolecular nanofibers into aligned, hierarchical macrostructures. Further, we demonstrate the ability to tune the nanostructure of macroscopic hydrogels through modulating phosphate buffer concentration during peptide self-assembly. In addition, increases in the nanostructural anisotropy of fabricated hydrogels are found to enhance their strength and stiffness under hydrated conditions. To demonstrate their utility as an extracellular matrix-mimetic biomaterial, aligned nanofibrous hydrogels are used to guide directional spreading of multiple cell types, but strikingly, increased matrix alignment is not always correlated with increased cellular alignment. Nanoscale observations reveal differences in cell-matrix interactions between variably aligned scaffolds and implicate the need for mechanical coupling for cells to understand nanofibrous alignment cues. In total, innovations in the supramolecular engineering of self-assembling peptides allow us to decouple nanostructure from macrostructure and generate a gradient of anisotropic nanofibrous hydrogels. We anticipate that control of architecture at multiple length scales will be critical for a variety of applications, including the bottom-up tissue engineering explored here.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam C Farsheed
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | | | - Le Tracy Yu
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Sajede Saeidifard
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Joseph W R Swain
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Jonathan T Makhoul
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Adam J Thomas
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Carson C Cole
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | - Eric Garcia Huitron
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
| | | | - Manmohan Singh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Kirill V Larin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, Texas 77204, United States
| | - Jeffrey D Hartgerink
- Department of Bioengineering, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
- Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005, United States
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7
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Karimi A, Aga M, Khan T, D'costa SD, Thaware O, White E, Kelley MJ, Gong H, Acott TS. Comparative analysis of traction forces in normal and glaucomatous trabecular meshwork cells within a 3D, active fluid-structure interaction culture environment. Acta Biomater 2024; 180:206-229. [PMID: 38641184 PMCID: PMC11095374 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2024.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
This study presents a 3D in vitro cell culture model, meticulously 3D printed to replicate the conventional aqueous outflow pathway anatomical structure, facilitating the study of trabecular meshwork (TM) cellular responses under glaucomatous conditions. Glaucoma affects TM cell functionality, leading to extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffening, enhanced cell-ECM adhesion, and obstructed aqueous humor outflow. Our model, reconstructed from polyacrylamide gel with elastic moduli of 1.5 and 21.7 kPa, is based on serial block-face scanning electron microscopy images of the outflow pathway. It allows for quantifying 3D, depth-dependent, dynamic traction forces exerted by both normal and glaucomatous TM cells within an active fluid-structure interaction (FSI) environment. In our experimental design, we designed two scenarios: a control group with TM cells observed over 20 hours without flow (static setting), focusing on intrinsic cellular contractile forces, and a second scenario incorporating active FSI to evaluate its impact on traction forces (dynamic setting). Our observations revealed that active FSI results in higher traction forces (normal: 1.83-fold and glaucoma: 2.24-fold) and shear strains (normal: 1.81-fold and glaucoma: 2.41-fold), with stiffer substrates amplifying this effect. Glaucomatous cells consistently exhibited larger forces than normal cells. Increasing gel stiffness led to enhanced stress fiber formation in TM cells, particularly in glaucomatous cells. Exposure to active FSI dramatically altered actin organization in both normal and glaucomatous TM cells, particularly affecting cortical actin stress fiber arrangement. This model while preliminary offers a new method in understanding TM cell biomechanics and ECM stiffening in glaucoma, highlighting the importance of FSI in these processes. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: This pioneering project presents an advanced 3D in vitro model, meticulously replicating the human trabecular meshwork's anatomy for glaucoma research. It enables precise quantification of cellular forces in a dynamic fluid-structure interaction, a leap forward from existing 2D models. This advancement promises significant insights into trabecular meshwork cell biomechanics and the stiffening of the extracellular matrix in glaucoma, offering potential pathways for innovative treatments. This research is positioned at the forefront of ocular disease study, with implications that extend to broader biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Karimi
- Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States.
| | - Mini Aga
- Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Taaha Khan
- Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Siddharth Daniel D'costa
- Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Omkar Thaware
- Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Elizabeth White
- Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Mary J Kelley
- Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States; Department Integrative Biosciences, School of Dentistry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Haiyan Gong
- Department of Ophthalmology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Ted S Acott
- Department of Ophthalmology, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States; Department Chemical Physiology & Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
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8
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Zhou WH, Qiao LR, Xie SJ, Chang Z, Yin X, Xu GK. Mechanical guidance to self-organization and pattern formation of stem cells. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:3448-3457. [PMID: 38567443 DOI: 10.1039/d4sm00172a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
The self-organization of stem cells (SCs) constitutes the fundamental basis of the development of biological organs and structures. SC-driven patterns are essential for tissue engineering, yet unguided SCs tend to form chaotic patterns, impeding progress in biomedical engineering. Here, we show that simple geometric constraints can be used as an effective mechanical modulation approach that promotes the development of controlled self-organization and pattern formation of SCs. Using the applied SC guidance with geometric constraints, we experimentally uncover a remarkable deviation in cell aggregate orientation from a random direction to a specific orientation. Subsequently, we propose a dynamic mechanical framework, including cells, the extracellular matrix (ECM), and the culture environment, to characterize the specific orientation deflection of guided cell aggregates relative to initial geometric constraints, which agrees well with experimental observation. Based on this framework, we further devise various theoretical strategies to realize complex biological patterns, such as radial and concentric structures. Our study highlights the key role of mechanical factors and geometric constraints in governing SCs' self-organization. These findings yield critical insights into the regulation of SC-driven pattern formation and hold great promise for advancements in tissue engineering and bioactive material design for regenerative application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Hua Zhou
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, Department of Engineering Mechanics, State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
| | - Lin-Ru Qiao
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, Department of Engineering Mechanics, State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
| | - She-Juan Xie
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, Department of Engineering Mechanics, State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
| | - Zhuo Chang
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, Department of Engineering Mechanics, State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
| | - Xu Yin
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, Department of Engineering Mechanics, State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
| | - Guang-Kui Xu
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, Department of Engineering Mechanics, State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China.
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9
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Joshi IM, Mansouri M, Ahmed A, De Silva D, Simon RA, Esmaili P, Desa DE, Elias TM, Brown EB, Abhyankar VV. Microengineering 3D Collagen Matrices with Tumor-Mimetic Gradients in Fiber Alignment. ADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS 2024; 34:2308071. [PMID: 38706986 PMCID: PMC11067715 DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202308071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
Collagen fibers in the 3D tumor microenvironment (TME) exhibit complex alignment landscapes that are critical in directing cell migration through a process called contact guidance. Previous in vitro work studying this phenomenon has focused on quantifying cell responses in uniformly aligned environments. However, the TME also features short-range gradients in fiber alignment that result from cell-induced traction forces. Although the influence of graded biophysical taxis cues is well established, cell responses to physiological alignment gradients remain largely unexplored. In this work, fiber alignment gradients in biopsy samples are characterized and recreated using a new microfluidic biofabrication technique to achieve tunable sub-millimeter to millimeter scale gradients. This study represents the first successful engineering of continuous alignment gradients in soft, natural biomaterials. Migration experiments on graded alignment show that HUVECs exhibit increased directionality, persistence, and speed compared to uniform and unaligned fiber architectures. Similarly, patterned MDA-MB-231 aggregates exhibit biased migration toward increasing fiber alignment, suggesting a role for alignment gradients as a taxis cue. This user-friendly approach, requiring no specialized equipment, is anticipated to offer new insights into the biophysical cues that cells interpret as they traverse the extracellular matrix, with broad applicability in healthy and diseased tissue environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indranil M. Joshi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | - Mehran Mansouri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | - Adeel Ahmed
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | - Dinindu De Silva
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | - Richard A. Simon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | - Poorya Esmaili
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | - Danielle E. Desa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Tresa M. Elias
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Edward B. Brown
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Vinay V. Abhyankar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
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10
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Liu Y, Jiao Y, Li X, Li G, Wang W, Liu Z, Qin D, Zhong L, Liu L, Shuai J, Li Z. An entropy-based approach for assessing the directional persistence of cell migration. Biophys J 2024; 123:730-744. [PMID: 38366586 PMCID: PMC10995411 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell migration, which is primarily characterized by directional persistence, is essential for the development of normal tissues and organs, as well as for numerous pathological processes. However, there is a lack of simple and efficient tools to analyze the systematic properties of persistence based on cellular trajectory data. Here, we present a novel approach, the entropy of angular distribution , which combines cellular turning dynamics and Shannon entropy to explore the statistical and time-varying properties of persistence that strongly correlate with cellular migration modes. Our results reveal the changes in the persistence of multiple cell lines that are tightly regulated by both intra- and extracellular cues, including Arpin protein, collagen gel/substrate, and physical constraints. Significantly, some previously unreported distinctive details of persistence have also been captured, helping to elucidate how directional persistence is distributed and evolves in different cell populations. The analysis suggests that the entropy of angular distribution-based approach provides a powerful metric for evaluating directional persistence and enables us to better understand the relationships between cellular behaviors and multiscale cues, which also provides some insights into the migration dynamics of cell populations, such as collective cell invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanping Liu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Big Data for Bio Intelligence, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
| | - Yang Jiao
- Materials Science and Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona; Department of Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
| | - Xinwei Li
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Big Data for Bio Intelligence, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
| | - Guoqiang Li
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Environmental Materials and Remediation Technologies, College of Chemistry and Environmental Engineering, Chongqing University of Arts and Sciences, Chongqing, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Big Data for Bio Intelligence, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
| | - Zhichao Liu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Big Data for Bio Intelligence, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
| | - Dui Qin
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Big Data for Bio Intelligence, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China
| | - Lisha Zhong
- School of Medical Information and Engineering, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, China
| | - Liyu Liu
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Soft Condensed Matter Physics and Smart Materials, College of Physics, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
| | - Jianwei Shuai
- Department of Physics, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China; Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Soft Functional Materials Research, Xiamen University, Xiamen, China; Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, China.
| | - Zhangyong Li
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Big Data for Bio Intelligence, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Chongqing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Chongqing, China.
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11
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Loewe B, Kozhukhov T, Shendruk TN. Anisotropic run-and-tumble-turn dynamics. SOFT MATTER 2024; 20:1133-1150. [PMID: 38226730 PMCID: PMC10828927 DOI: 10.1039/d3sm00589e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2024]
Abstract
Run-and-tumble processes successfully model several living systems. While studies have typically focused on particles with isotropic tumbles, recent examples exhibit "tumble-turns", in which particles undergo 90° tumbles and so possess explicitly anisotropic dynamics. We study the consequences of such tumble-turn anisotropicity at both short and long-time scales. We model run-and-tumble-turn particles as self-propelled particles subjected to an angular potential that favors directions of movement parallel to Cartesian axes. Using agent-based simulations, we study the effects of the interplay between rotational diffusion and an aligning potential on the particles' trajectories, which leads to the right-angled turns. We demonstrate that the long-time effect is to alter the tumble-turn time, which governs the long-time dynamics. In particular, when normalized by this timescale, trajectories become independent of the underlying details of the potential. As such, we develop a simplified continuum theory, which quantitatively agrees with agent-based simulations. We find that the purely diffusive hydrodynamic limit still exhibits anisotropic features at intermediate times and conclude that the transition to diffusive dynamics precedes the transition to isotropic dynamics. By considering short-range repulsive and alignment particle-particle interactions, we show how the anisotropic features of a single particle are inherited by the global order of the system. We hope this work will shed light on how active systems can extend local anisotropic properties to macroscopic scales, which might be important in biological processes occurring in anisotropic environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Loewe
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, UK.
| | - Timofey Kozhukhov
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, UK.
| | - Tyler N Shendruk
- SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Peter Guthrie Tait Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FD, UK.
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12
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Lichtenberg JY, Ramamurthy E, Young AD, Redman TP, Leonard CE, Das SK, Fisher PB, Lemmon CA, Hwang PY. Leader cells mechanically respond to aligned collagen architecture to direct collective migration. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296153. [PMID: 38165954 PMCID: PMC10760762 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Leader cells direct collective migration through sensing cues in their microenvironment to determine migration direction. The mechanism by which leader cells sense the mechanical cue of organized matrix architecture culminating in a mechanical response is not well defined. In this study, we investigated the effect of organized collagen matrix fibers on leader cell mechanics and demonstrate that leader cells protrude along aligned fibers resulting in an elongated phenotype of the entire cluster. Further, leader cells show increased mechanical interactions with their nearby matrix compared to follower cells, as evidenced by increased traction forces, increased and larger focal adhesions, and increased expression of integrin-α2. Together our results demonstrate changes in mechanical matrix cues drives changes in leader cell mechanoresponse that is required for directional collective migration. Our findings provide new insights into two fundamental components of carcinogenesis, namely invasion and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessanne Y. Lichtenberg
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Ella Ramamurthy
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States of America
| | - Anna D. Young
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Trey P. Redman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Corinne E. Leonard
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Swadesh K. Das
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- VCU Massey Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Paul B. Fisher
- Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- VCU Massey Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Christopher A. Lemmon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Priscilla Y. Hwang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- VCU Massey Cancer Center, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
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13
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Van Gulick L, Saby C, Mayer C, Fossier E, Jaisson S, Okwieka A, Gillery P, Chenais B, Mimouni V, Morjani H, Beljebbar A. Biochemical and morpho-mechanical properties, and structural organization of rat tail tendon collagen in diet-induced obesity model. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 254:127936. [PMID: 37939767 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.127936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
We have investigated the impact of obesity on the structural organization, morpho-mechanical properties of collagen fibers from rat tail tendon fascicles (RTTFs). Polarized Raman microspectroscopy showed that the collagen bands 855, 875, 938, and 960 cm-1 as well as those 1631 and 1660 cm-1 were affected by diet. Mechanical properties exhibited an increase in the yield strength from control (CTRL) to high fat (HF) diet (9.60 ± 1.71 and 13.09 ± 1.81 MPa) (p < 0.01) and ultimate tensile strength (13.12 ± 2.37 and 18.32 ± 2.83 MPa) (p < 0.05) with no significant change in the Young's Modulus. During mechanical, the band at 875 cm-1 exhibited the most relevant frequency shift (2 cm-1). The intensity of those at 855, 875, and 938 cm-1 in HF collagen displayed a comparable response to mechanical stress as compared to CTRL collagen with no significant diet-related changes in the Full Width at Half Maximum. Second harmonic generation technique revealed i) similar fiber straightness (0.963 ± 0.004 and 0.965 ± 0.003) and ii) significant changes in fibers diameter (1.48 ± 0.07 and 1.52 ± 0.08 μm) (p < 0.05) and length (22.06 ± 2.38 and 29.00 ± 3.76 μm) (p < 0.001) between CTRL and HF diet, respectively. The quantification of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) revealed an increase in both carboxymethyl-lysine and total fluorescence AGEs from CTRL to HF RTTFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurence Van Gulick
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, BioSpecT EA 7506, UFR de Pharmacie, 51096 Reims, France
| | - Charles Saby
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, BioSpecT EA 7506, UFR de Pharmacie, 51096 Reims, France
| | - Claire Mayer
- BiOSSE, Biology of Organisms, Stress, Health, Environment, Institut Universitaire de Technologie, Département Génie Biologique, Le Mans Université, 53020 Laval, France
| | - Emilie Fossier
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, BioSpecT EA 7506, UFR de Pharmacie, 51096 Reims, France
| | - Stéphane Jaisson
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, MEDyC CNRS UMR 7369, UFR de Médecine, 51097 Reims, France; Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire, Service de Biochimie-Pharmacologie-Toxicologie, Reims, France
| | - Anaïs Okwieka
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, MEDyC CNRS UMR 7369, UFR de Médecine, 51097 Reims, France
| | - Philippe Gillery
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, MEDyC CNRS UMR 7369, UFR de Médecine, 51097 Reims, France; Centre Hospitalo-Universitaire, Service de Biochimie-Pharmacologie-Toxicologie, Reims, France
| | - Benoît Chenais
- BiOSSE, Biology of Organisms, Stress, Health, Environment, UFR Sciences et Techniques, Le Mans Université, 72085 Le Mans, France
| | - Virginie Mimouni
- BiOSSE, Biology of Organisms, Stress, Health, Environment, Institut Universitaire de Technologie, Département Génie Biologique, Le Mans Université, 53020 Laval, France
| | - Hamid Morjani
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, BioSpecT EA 7506, UFR de Pharmacie, 51096 Reims, France
| | - Abdelilah Beljebbar
- Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, BioSpecT EA 7506, UFR de Pharmacie, 51096 Reims, France.
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14
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Shimpi AA, Williams ED, Ling L, Tamir T, White FM, Fischbach C. Phosphoproteomic Changes Induced by Cell-Derived Matrix and Their Effect on Tumor Cell Migration and Cytoskeleton Remodeling. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2023; 9:6835-6848. [PMID: 38015076 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c01034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Increased fibrotic extracellular matrix (ECM) deposition promotes tumor invasion, which is the first step of the metastatic cascade. Yet, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood as conventional studies of tumor cell migration are often performed in 2D cultures lacking the compositional and structural complexity of native ECM. Moreover, these studies frequently focus on select candidate pathways potentially overlooking other relevant changes in cell signaling. Here, we combine a cell-derived matrix (CDM) model with phosphotyrosine phosphoproteomic analysis to investigate tumor cell migration on fibrotic ECM relative to standard tissue culture plastic (TCP). Our results suggest that tumor cells cultured on CDMs migrate faster and in a more directional manner than their counterparts on TCP. These changes in migration correlate with decreased cell spreading and increased cell elongation. While the formation of phosphorylated focal adhesion kinase (pFAK)+ adhesion complexes did not vary between TCP and CDMs, time-dependent phosphoproteomic analysis identified that the SRC family kinase LYN may be differentially regulated. Pharmacological inhibition of LYN decreased tumor cell migration and cytoskeletal rearrangement on CDMs and also on TCP, suggesting that LYN regulates tumor cell migration on CDMs in combination with other mechanisms. These data highlight how the combination of physicochemically complex in vitro systems with phosphoproteomics can help identify signaling mechanisms by which the fibrotic ECM regulates tumor cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian A Shimpi
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Erik D Williams
- Department of Information Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Lu Ling
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
| | - Tigist Tamir
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 023139, United States
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 023139, United States
| | - Forest M White
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 023139, United States
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 023139, United States
| | - Claudia Fischbach
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
- Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, United States
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15
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Tagay Y, Kheirabadi S, Ataie Z, Singh RK, Prince O, Nguyen A, Zhovmer AS, Ma X, Sheikhi A, Tsygankov D, Tabdanov ED. Dynein-Powered Cell Locomotion Guides Metastasis of Breast Cancer. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2302229. [PMID: 37726225 PMCID: PMC10625109 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202302229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
The principal cause of death in cancer patients is metastasis, which remains an unresolved problem. Conventionally, metastatic dissemination is linked to actomyosin-driven cell locomotion. However, the locomotion of cancer cells often does not strictly line up with the measured actomyosin forces. Here, a complementary mechanism of metastatic locomotion powered by dynein-generated forces is identified. These forces arise within a non-stretchable microtubule network and drive persistent contact guidance of migrating cancer cells along the biomimetic collagen fibers. It is also shown that the dynein-powered locomotion becomes indispensable during invasive 3D migration within a tissue-like luminal network formed by spatially confining granular hydrogel scaffolds (GHS) made up of microscale hydrogel particles (microgels). These results indicate that the complementary motricity mediated by dynein is always necessary and, in certain instances, sufficient for disseminating metastatic breast cancer cells. These findings advance the fundamental understanding of cell locomotion mechanisms and expand the spectrum of clinical targets against metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yerbol Tagay
- Department of PharmacologyPenn State College of MedicineThe Pennsylvania State UniversityHersheyPA17033USA
| | - Sina Kheirabadi
- Department of Chemical EngineeringThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPA16802USA
| | - Zaman Ataie
- Department of Chemical EngineeringThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPA16802USA
| | - Rakesh K. Singh
- Department of Obstetrics & GynecologyGynecology OncologyUniversity of Rochester Medical CenterRochesterNY14642USA
| | - Olivia Prince
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and ResearchU.S. Food and Drug AdministrationSilver SpringMD20903USA
| | - Ashley Nguyen
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and ResearchU.S. Food and Drug AdministrationSilver SpringMD20903USA
| | - Alexander S. Zhovmer
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and ResearchU.S. Food and Drug AdministrationSilver SpringMD20903USA
| | - Xuefei Ma
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and ResearchU.S. Food and Drug AdministrationSilver SpringMD20903USA
| | - Amir Sheikhi
- Department of Chemical EngineeringThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPA16802USA
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringThe Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkPA16802USA
| | - Denis Tsygankov
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical EngineeringGeorgia Institute of Technology and Emory UniversityAtlantaGA30332USA
| | - Erdem D. Tabdanov
- Department of PharmacologyPenn State College of MedicineThe Pennsylvania State UniversityHersheyPA17033USA
- Penn State Cancer InstitutePenn State College of MedicineThe Pennsylvania State UniversityHersheyPA17033USA
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16
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Su CY, Matsubara T, Wu A, Ahn EH, Kim DH. Matrix Anisotropy Promotes a Transition of Collective to Disseminated Cell Migration via a Collective Vortex Motion. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2023; 7:e2300026. [PMID: 36932886 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202300026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/19/2023]
Abstract
Cells detached and disseminated away from collectively migrating cells are frequently found during tumor invasion at the invasion front, where extracellular matrix (ECM) fibers are parallel to the cell migration direction. However, it remains unclear how anisotropic topography promotes the transition of collective to disseminated cell migration. This study applies a collective cell migration model with and without 800 nm wide aligned nanogrooves parallel, perpendicular, or diagonal to the cell migration direction. After 120 hour migration, MCF7-GFP-H2B-mCherry breast cancer cells display more disseminated cells at the migration front on parallel topography than on other topographies. Notably, a fluid-like collective motion with high vorticity is enhanced at the migration front on parallel topography. Furthermore, high vorticity but not velocity is correlated with disseminated cell numbers on parallel topography. Enhanced collective vortex motion colocalizes with cell monolayer defects where cells extend protrusions into the free space, suggesting that topography-driven cell crawling for defect closure promotes the collective vortex motion. In addition, elongated cell morphology and frequent protrusions induced by topography may further contribute to the collective vortex motion. Overall, a high-vorticity collective motion at the migration front promoted by parallel topography suggests a cause of the transition of collective to disseminated cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Yi Su
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Tatsuya Matsubara
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Alex Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Eun Hyun Ahn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Deok-Ho Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
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17
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Safaei S, Sajed R, Shariftabrizi A, Dorafshan S, Saeednejad Zanjani L, Dehghan Manshadi M, Madjd Z, Ghods R. Tumor matrix stiffness provides fertile soil for cancer stem cells. Cancer Cell Int 2023; 23:143. [PMID: 37468874 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-023-02992-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Matrix stiffness is a mechanical characteristic of the extracellular matrix (ECM) that increases from the tumor core to the tumor periphery in a gradient pattern in a variety of solid tumors and can promote proliferation, invasion, metastasis, drug resistance, and recurrence. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a rare subpopulation of tumor cells with self-renewal, asymmetric cell division, and differentiation capabilities. CSCs are thought to be responsible for metastasis, tumor recurrence, chemotherapy resistance, and consequently poor clinical outcomes. Evidence suggests that matrix stiffness can activate receptors and mechanosensor/mechanoregulator proteins such as integrin, FAK, and YAP, modulating the characteristics of tumor cells as well as CSCs through different molecular signaling pathways. A deeper understanding of the effect of matrix stiffness on CSCs characteristics could lead to development of innovative cancer therapies. In this review, we discuss how the stiffness of the ECM is sensed by the cells and how the cells respond to this environmental change as well as the effect of matrix stiffness on CSCs characteristics and also the key malignant processes such as proliferation and EMT. Then, we specifically focus on how increased matrix stiffness affects CSCs in breast, lung, liver, pancreatic, and colorectal cancers. We also discuss how the molecules responsible for increased matrix stiffness and the signaling pathways activated by the enhanced stiffness can be manipulated as a therapeutic strategy for cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sadegh Safaei
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
| | - Roya Sajed
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
| | - Ahmad Shariftabrizi
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
- Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, Buffalo, NY, USA
| | - Shima Dorafshan
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
| | - Leili Saeednejad Zanjani
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
- Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Masoumeh Dehghan Manshadi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran
| | - Zahra Madjd
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran.
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran.
| | - Roya Ghods
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran.
- Oncopathology Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Hemmat Street (Highway), Next to Milad Tower, Tehran, 14496-14530, Iran.
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18
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Joshi IM, Mansouri M, Ahmed A, Simon RA, Bambizi PE, Desa DE, Elias TM, Brown EB, Abhyankar VV. Microengineering 3D Collagen Matrices with Tumor-Mimetic Gradients in Fiber Alignment. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.09.548253. [PMID: 37502844 PMCID: PMC10369918 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.09.548253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
In the tumor microenvironment (TME), collagen fibers facilitate tumor cell migration through the extracellular matrix. Previous studies have focused on studying the responses of cells on uniformly aligned or randomly aligned collagen fibers. However, the in vivo environment also features spatial gradients in alignment, which arise from the local reorganization of the matrix architecture due to cell-induced traction forces. Although there has been extensive research on how cells respond to graded biophysical cues, such as stiffness, porosity, and ligand density, the cellular responses to physiological fiber alignment gradients have been largely unexplored. This is due, in part, to a lack of robust experimental techniques to create controlled alignment gradients in natural materials. In this study, we image tumor biopsy samples and characterize the alignment gradients present in the TME. To replicate physiological gradients, we introduce a first-of-its-kind biofabrication technique that utilizes a microfluidic channel with constricting and expanding geometry to engineer 3D collagen hydrogels with tunable fiber alignment gradients that range from sub-millimeter to millimeter length scales. Our modular approach allows easy access to the microengineered gradient gels, and we demonstrate that HUVECs migrate in response to the fiber architecture. We provide preliminary evidence suggesting that MDA-MB-231 cell aggregates, patterned onto a specific location on the alignment gradient, exhibit preferential migration towards increasing alignment. This finding suggests that alignment gradients could serve as an additional taxis cue in the ECM. Importantly, our study represents the first successful engineering of continuous gradients of fiber alignment in soft, natural materials. We anticipate that our user-friendly platform, which needs no specialized equipment, will offer new experimental capabilities to study the impact of fiber-based contact guidance on directed cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indranil M. Joshi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | - Mehran Mansouri
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | - Adeel Ahmed
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | - Richard A. Simon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
| | | | - Danielle E. Desa
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Tresa M. Elias
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Edward B. Brown
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
| | - Vinay V. Abhyankar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY
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19
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Shimpi AA, Tan ML, Vilkhovoy M, Dai D, Roberts LM, Kuo J, Huang L, Varner JD, Paszek M, Fischbach C. Convergent Approaches to Delineate the Metabolic Regulation of Tumor Invasion by Hyaluronic Acid Biosynthesis. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2202224. [PMID: 36479976 PMCID: PMC10238572 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202202224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Metastasis is the leading cause of breast cancer-related deaths and is often driven by invasion and cancer-stem like cells (CSCs). Both the CSC phenotype and invasion are associated with increased hyaluronic acid (HA) production. How these independent observations are connected, and which role metabolism plays in this process, remains unclear due to the lack of convergent approaches integrating engineered model systems, computational tools, and cancer biology. Using microfluidic invasion models, metabolomics, computational flux balance analysis, and bioinformatic analysis of patient data, the functional links between the stem-like, invasive, and metabolic phenotype of breast cancer cells as a function of HA biosynthesis are investigated. These results suggest that CSCs are more invasive than non-CSCs and that broad metabolic changes caused by overproduction of HA play a role in this process. Accordingly, overexpression of hyaluronic acid synthases (HAS) 2 or 3 induces a metabolic phenotype that promotes cancer cell stemness and invasion in vitro and upregulates a transcriptomic signature predictive of increased invasion and worse patient survival. This study suggests that HA overproduction leads to metabolic adaptations to satisfy the energy demands for 3D invasion of breast CSCs highlighting the importance of engineered model systems and multidisciplinary approaches in cancer research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrian A. Shimpi
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - Matthew L. Tan
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - Michael Vilkhovoy
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - David Dai
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - L. Monet Roberts
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - Joe Kuo
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - Lingting Huang
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - Jeffrey D. Varner
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - Matthew Paszek
- Robert Frederick Smith School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
- Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
| | - Claudia Fischbach
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
- Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA
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20
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Aghigh A, Preston SEJ, Jargot G, Ibrahim H, Del Rincón SV, Légaré F. Nonlinear microscopy and deep learning classification for mammary gland microenvironment studies. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 14:2181-2195. [PMID: 37206132 PMCID: PMC10191635 DOI: 10.1364/boe.487087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Tumors, their microenvironment, and the mechanisms by which collagen morphology changes throughout cancer progression have recently been a topic of interest. Second harmonic generation (SHG) and polarization second harmonic (P-SHG) microscopy are label-free, hallmark methods that can highlight this alteration in the extracellular matrix (ECM). This article uses automated sample scanning SHG and P-SHG microscopy to investigate ECM deposition associated with tumors residing in the mammary gland. We show two different analysis approaches using the acquired images to distinguish collagen fibrillar orientation changes in the ECM. Lastly, we apply a supervised deep-learning model to classify naïve and tumor-bearing mammary gland SHG images. We benchmark the trained model using transfer learning with the well-known MobileNetV2 architecture. By fine-tuning the different parameters of these models, we show a trained deep-learning model that suits such a small dataset with 73% accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arash Aghigh
- Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Varennes, Québec, Canada
| | - Samuel E. J. Preston
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, Segal Cancer Centre, Lady Davis Institute and Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gaëtan Jargot
- Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Varennes, Québec, Canada
| | - Heide Ibrahim
- Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Varennes, Québec, Canada
| | - Sonia V Del Rincón
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Gerald Bronfman Department of Oncology, Segal Cancer Centre, Lady Davis Institute and Jewish General Hospital, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - François Légaré
- Centre Énergie Matériaux Télécommunications, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique, Varennes, Québec, Canada
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21
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Tagay Y, Kheirabadi S, Ataie Z, Singh RK, Prince O, Nguyen A, Zhovmer AS, Ma X, Sheikhi A, Tsygankov D, Tabdanov ED. Dynein-Powered Cell Locomotion Guides Metastasis of Breast Cancer. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.04.535605. [PMID: 37066378 PMCID: PMC10104034 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.04.535605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Metastasis is a principal cause of death in cancer patients, which remains an unresolved fundamental and clinical problem. Conventionally, metastatic dissemination is linked to the actomyosin-driven cell locomotion. However, locomotion of cancer cells often does not strictly line up with the measured actomyosin forces. Here, we identify a complementary mechanism of metastatic locomotion powered by the dynein-generated forces. These forces that arise within a non-stretchable microtubule network drive persistent contact guidance of migrating cancer cells along the biomimetic collagen fibers. We also show that dynein-powered locomotion becomes indispensable during invasive 3D migration within a tissue-like luminal network between spatially confining hydrogel microspheres. Our results indicate that the complementary contractile system of dynein motors and microtubules is always necessary and in certain instances completely sufficient for dissemination of metastatic breast cancer cells. These findings advance fundamental understanding of cell locomotion mechanisms and expand the spectrum of clinical targets against metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yerbol Tagay
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
| | - Sina Kheirabadi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Zaman Ataie
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Rakesh K. Singh
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Olivia Prince
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20903, USA
| | - Ashley Nguyen
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20903, USA
| | - Alexander S. Zhovmer
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20903, USA
| | - Xuefei Ma
- Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 20903, USA
| | - Amir Sheikhi
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, 16802, USA
| | - Denis Tsygankov
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Erdem D. Tabdanov
- Department of Pharmacology, Penn State College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
- Penn State Cancer Institute, Penn State College of Medicine, The Pennsylvania State University, Hershey, PA, 17033, USA
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22
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Heussner RK, Zhang H, Qian G, Baker MJ, Provenzano PP. Differential contractility regulates cancer stem cell migration. Biophys J 2023; 122:1198-1210. [PMID: 36772795 PMCID: PMC10111274 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.02.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 10/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are known to have a high capacity for tumor initiation and the formation of metastases. We have previously shown that in collagen constructs mimetic of aligned extracellular matrix architectures observed in carcinomas, breast CSCs demonstrate enhanced directional and total motility compared with more differentiated carcinoma populations. Here, we show that CSCs maintain increased motility in diverse environments including on 2D elastic polyacrylamide gels of various stiffness, 3D randomly oriented collagen matrices, and ectopic cerebral slices representative of a common metastatic site. A consistent twofold increase of CSC motility across platforms suggests a general shift in cell migration mechanics between well-differentiated carcinoma cells and their stem-like counterparts. To further elucidate the source of differences in migration, we demonstrate that CSCs are less contractile than the whole population (WP) and develop fewer and smaller focal adhesions and show that enhanced CSC migration can be tuned via contractile forces. The WP can be shifted to a CSC-like migratory phenotype using partial myosin II inhibition. Inversely, CSCs can be shifted to a less migratory WP-like phenotype using microtubule-destabilizing drugs that increase contractility or by directly enhancing contractile forces. This work begins to reveal the mechanistic differences driving CSC migration and raises important implications regarding the potentially disparate effects of microtubule-targeting agents on the motility of different cell populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel K Heussner
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; University of Minnesota Physical Sciences in Oncology Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Hongrong Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; University of Minnesota Physical Sciences in Oncology Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota; University of Minnesota Center for Multiparametric Imaging of Tumor Immune Microenvironments, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Guhan Qian
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; University of Minnesota Physical Sciences in Oncology Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota; University of Minnesota Center for Multiparametric Imaging of Tumor Immune Microenvironments, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Mikayla J Baker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; University of Minnesota Physical Sciences in Oncology Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota; University of Minnesota Center for Multiparametric Imaging of Tumor Immune Microenvironments, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Paolo P Provenzano
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; University of Minnesota Physical Sciences in Oncology Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota; University of Minnesota Center for Multiparametric Imaging of Tumor Immune Microenvironments, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Department of Hematology, Oncology, and Transplantation, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Institute for Engineering in Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
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23
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Kaur H, Larson NG, Nain AS. Contractility and migration: New directions in cancer stem cell migration. Biophys J 2023; 122:1141-1142. [PMID: 36791721 PMCID: PMC10111253 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.01.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Harsimran Kaur
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
| | | | - Amrinder S Nain
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.
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24
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Rodríguez-Merced NJ, Callaway MK, Provenzano PP. Protocol to culture and image pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumor slices to study T cell migration. STAR Protoc 2023; 4:102135. [PMID: 36861840 PMCID: PMC9988667 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2023.102135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2022] [Revised: 12/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Here, we describe a protocol for culture and live cell imaging of tumor slices. This approach studies carcinoma and immune cell dynamics in complex tumor microenvironments (TME) with nonlinear optical imaging platforms. Using a tumor-bearing mouse model of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA), we detail steps to isolate, activate, and label CD8+ T lymphocytes and later introduce them to live murine PDA tumor slice explants. The techniques described in this protocol can improve our understanding of cell migration in complex microenvironments ex vivo. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Tabdanov et al. (2021).1.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelson J Rodríguez-Merced
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; University of Minnesota Physical Sciences and Oncology Center, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Mackenzie K Callaway
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; University of Minnesota Physical Sciences and Oncology Center, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Paolo P Provenzano
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; University of Minnesota Physical Sciences and Oncology Center, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Masonic Cancer Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; Institute for Engineering in Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA; University of Minnesota Center for Multiparametric Imaging of Tumor Immune Microenvironments, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
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25
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Lee SHT, Kim JY, Kim P, Dong Z, Su CY, Ahn EH. Changes of Mutations and Copy-Number and Enhanced Cell Migration during Breast Tumorigenesis. Adv Biol (Weinh) 2023; 7:e2200072. [PMID: 36449747 PMCID: PMC10836759 DOI: 10.1002/adbi.202200072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Although cancer stem cells (CSCs) play a major role in tumorigenesis and metastasis, the role of genetic alterations in invasiveness of CSCs is still unclear. Tumor microenvironment signals, such as extracellular matrix (ECM) composition, significantly influence cell behaviors. Unfortunately, these signals are often lost in in vitro cell culture. This study determines putative CSC populations, examines genetic changes during tumorigenesis of human breast epithelial stem cells, and investigates single-cell migration properties on ECM-mimetic platforms. Whole exome sequencing data indicate that tumorigenic cells have a higher somatic mutation burden than non-tumorigenic cells, and that mutations exclusive to tumorigenic cells exhibit higher predictive deleterious scores. Tumorigenic cells exhibit distinct somatic copy number variations (CNVs) including gain of duplications in chromosomes 5 and 8. ECM-mimetic topography selectively enhances migration speed of tumorigenic cells, but not of non-tumorigenic cells, and results in a wide distribution of tumorigenic single-cell migration speeds, suggesting heterogeneity in cellular sensing of contact guidance cues. This study identifies mutations and CNVs acquired during breast tumorigenesis, which can be associated with enhanced migration of breast tumorigenic cells, and demonstrates that a nanotopographically-defined platform can be applied to recapitulate an ECM structure for investigating cellular migration in the simulated tumor microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seung Hyuk T. Lee
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle,
WA 98195, USA
| | - Joon Yup Kim
- Department of Pathology, University of Washington, Seattle,
WA 98195, USA
| | - Peter Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington,
Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Zhipeng Dong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins
University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Chia-Yi Su
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins
University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Eun Hyun Ahn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins
University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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26
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Edwin PERG, Kumar S, Roy S, Roy B, Bajpai SK. Anisotropic 3D confinement of MCF-7 cells induces directed cell-migration and viscoelastic anisotropy of cell-membrane. Phys Biol 2023; 20. [DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/ac9bc1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Tumor-associated collagen signature-3 (TACS-3) is a prognostic indicator for breast cancer survival. It is characterized by highly organized, parallel bundles of collagen fibers oriented perpendicular to the tumor boundary, serving as directional, confining channels for cancer cell invasion. Here we design a TACS-3-mimetic anisotropic, confined collagen I matrix and examine the relation between anisotropy of matrix, directed cellular migration, and anisotropy of cell membrane-the first direct contact between TACS-3 and cell-using Michigan Cancer Foundation-7 (MCF-7) cells as cancer-model. Using unidirectional freezing, we generated ∼50 μm-wide channels filled with collagen I. Optical tweezer (OT) microrheology shows that anisotropic confinement increases collagen viscoelasticity by two orders of magnitude, and the elastic modulus is significantly greater along the direction of anisotropic confinement compared to that along the orthogonal direction, thus establishing matrix anisotropy. Furthermore, MCF-7 cells embedded in anisotropic collagen I, exhibit directionality in cellular morphology and migration. Finally, using customized OT to trap polystyrene probes bound to cell-membrane (and not to ECM) of either free cells or cells under anisotropic confinement, we quantified the effect of matrix anisotropy on membrane viscoelasticity, both in-plane and out-of-plane, vis-à-vis the membrane. Both bulk and viscous modulus of cell-membrane of MCF-7 cells exhibit significant anisotropy under anisotropic confinement. Moreover, the cell membrane of MCF-7 cells under anisotropic confinement is significantly softer (both in-plane and out-of-plane moduli) despite their local environment being five times stiffer than free cells. In order to test if the coupling between anisotropy of extracellular matrix and anisotropy of cell-membrane is regulated by cell-cytoskeleton, actin cytoskeleton was depolymerized for both free and confined cells. Results show that cell membrane viscoelasticity of confined MCF-7 cells is unaffected by actin de-polymerization, in contrast to free cells. Together, these findings suggest that anisotropy of ECM induces directed migration and correlates with anisotropy of cell-membrane viscoelasticity of the MCF-7 cells in an actin-independent manner.
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27
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Merino-Casallo F, Gomez-Benito MJ, Hervas-Raluy S, Garcia-Aznar JM. Unravelling cell migration: defining movement from the cell surface. Cell Adh Migr 2022; 16:25-64. [PMID: 35499121 PMCID: PMC9067518 DOI: 10.1080/19336918.2022.2055520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell motility is essential for life and development. Unfortunately, cell migration is also linked to several pathological processes, such as cancer metastasis. Cells' ability to migrate relies on many actors. Cells change their migratory strategy based on their phenotype and the properties of the surrounding microenvironment. Cell migration is, therefore, an extremely complex phenomenon. Researchers have investigated cell motility for more than a century. Recent discoveries have uncovered some of the mysteries associated with the mechanisms involved in cell migration, such as intracellular signaling and cell mechanics. These findings involve different players, including transmembrane receptors, adhesive complexes, cytoskeletal components , the nucleus, and the extracellular matrix. This review aims to give a global overview of our current understanding of cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Merino-Casallo
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering (M2BE), Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), Zaragoza, Spain
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Maria Jose Gomez-Benito
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering (M2BE), Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), Zaragoza, Spain
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Silvia Hervas-Raluy
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering (M2BE), Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), Zaragoza, Spain
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Jose Manuel Garcia-Aznar
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering (M2BE), Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), Zaragoza, Spain
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
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28
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Lewis SM, Callaway MK, dos Santos CO. Clinical applications of 3D normal and breast cancer organoids: A review of concepts and methods. Exp Biol Med (Maywood) 2022; 247:2176-2183. [PMID: 36408534 PMCID: PMC9899987 DOI: 10.1177/15353702221131877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
While mouse models and two-dimensional (2D) cell culture systems have dominated as research tools for cancer biology, three-dimensional (3D) cultures have gained traction as a new approach that retains features of in vivo biology within an in vitro system. Over time, 3D culture systems have evolved from spheroids and tumorspheres to organoids, and by doing so, they have become more complex and representative of original tissue. Such technological improvements have mostly benefited the study of heterogeneous solid tumors, like those found in breast cancer (BC), by providing an attractive avenue for scalable drug testing and biobank generation. Experimentally, organoids have been used in the BC field to dissect mechanisms related to cellular invasion and metastasis-and through co-culture methods-epithelial interactions with stromal and immune cells. In addition, organoid studies of wild-type mouse models and healthy donor samples have provided insight into the basic developmental cellular and molecular biology of the mammary gland, which may inform one's understanding of the initial stages of cancer development and progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven M Lewis
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold
Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA,Graduate Program in Genetics, Stony
Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | | | - Camila O dos Santos
- Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold
Spring Harbor, NY 11724, USA,Camila O dos Santos.
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29
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STEAP3 can predict the prognosis and shape the tumor microenvironment of clear cell renal cell carcinoma. BMC Cancer 2022; 22:1204. [PMID: 36424540 PMCID: PMC9686107 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-022-10313-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is a common malignant tumor of the urinary system characterized by poor prognosis and difficult treatment. It has been reported that iron metabolism dysregulation is a common phenomenon in ccRCC and is closely related to the process of ccRCC. But still now, the exact function and underlying mechanisms of iron metabolism dysregulation in ccRCC have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we comprehensively investigated the prognostic value and potential role of STEAP3 (an iron metabolism-related gene) in ccRCC. STEAP3 is significantly up-regulated in ccRCC. High STEAP3 expression is associated with gender, hemoglobin level, pathological grade, tumor stage and significantly predicts an unfavorable prognosis of ccRCC patients. Functional enrichment analysis and evaluation of the tumor microenvironment indicated that STEAP3 was involved in the remodeling of tumor extracellular matrix and the shaping of an immune-suppressive tumor microenvironment to promote tumor metastasis and evade immune killing. Besides, the expression of STEAP3 is also associated with the expression of various immune checkpoint molecules and the IC50 of targeted drugs. Finally, we verified STEAP3 by RT-qPCR and IHC staining. In conclusion, we found that STEAP3 can serve as a candidate prognostic biomarker for ccRCC, and targeting STEAP3 and its biological processes may provide new references for the individualized treatment of ccRCC.
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30
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Wang J, Han Y, Li Y, Zhang F, Cai M, Zhang X, Chen J, Ji C, Ma J, Xu F. Targeting Tumor Physical Microenvironment for Improved Radiotherapy. SMALL METHODS 2022; 6:e2200570. [PMID: 36116123 DOI: 10.1002/smtd.202200570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Radiotherapy has led to important clinical advances; existing cancer radiotherapy resistance is one remaining major challenge. Recently, biophysical cues in the tumor microenvironment (TME) have been regarded as the new hallmarks of cancer, playing pivotal roles in various cancer behaviors and treatment responses, including radiotherapy resistance. With recent advances in micro/nanotechnologies and functional biomaterials, radiotherapy exerts great influence on biophysical cues in TME, which, in turn, significantly affect the response to radiotherapy. Besides, various strategies have emerged that target biophysical cues in TME, to potentially enhance radiotherapy efficacy. Therefore, this paper reviews the four biophysical cues (i.e., extracellular matrix (ECM) microarchitecture, ECM stiffness, interstitial fluid pressure, and solid stress) that may play important roles in radiotherapy resistance, their possible mechanisms for inducing it, and their change after radiotherapy. The emerging therapeutic strategies targeting the biophysical microenvironment, to explore the mechanism of radiotherapy resistance and develop effective strategies to revert it for improved treatment efficacy are further summarized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Wang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, P. R. China
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, P. R. China
| | - Yulong Han
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, P. R. China
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control of Mechanical Structures, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing, 210016, P. R. China
| | - Yuan Li
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, P. R. China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, P. R. China
| | - Fengping Zhang
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, P. R. China
| | - Mengjiao Cai
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, P. R. China
| | - Xinyue Zhang
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, P. R. China
| | - Jie Chen
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, P. R. China
| | - Chao Ji
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, P. R. China
| | - Jinlu Ma
- Department of Radiation Oncology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, P. R. China
| | - Feng Xu
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, P. R. China
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710049, P. R. China
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31
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Vasudevan J, Jiang K, Fernandez J, Lim CT. Extracellular matrix mechanobiology in cancer cell migration. Acta Biomater 2022; 163:351-364. [PMID: 36243367 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 09/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) is pivotal in modulating tumor progression. Besides chemically stimulating tumor cells, it also offers physical support that orchestrates the sequence of events in the metastatic cascade upon dynamically modulating cell mechanosensation. Understanding this translation between matrix biophysical cues and intracellular signaling has led to rapid growth in the interdisciplinary field of cancer mechanobiology in the last decade. Substantial efforts have been made to develop novel in vitro tumor mimicking platforms to visualize and quantify the mechanical forces within the tissue that dictate tumor cell invasion and metastatic growth. This review highlights recent findings on tumor matrix biophysical cues such as fibrillar arrangement, crosslinking density, confinement, rigidity, topography, and non-linear mechanics and their implications on tumor cell behavior. We also emphasize how perturbations in these cues alter cellular mechanisms of mechanotransduction, consequently enhancing malignancy. Finally, we elucidate engineering techniques to individually emulate the mechanical properties of tumors that could help serve as toolkits for developing and testing ECM-targeted therapeutics on novel bioengineered tumor platforms. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Disrupted ECM mechanics is a driving force for transitioning incipient cells to life-threatening malignant variants. Understanding these ECM changes can be crucial as they may aid in developing several efficacious drugs that not only focus on inducing cytotoxic effects but also target specific matrix mechanical cues that support and enhance tumor invasiveness. Designing and implementing an optimal tumor mimic can allow us to predictively map biophysical cue-modulated cell behaviors and facilitate the design of improved lab-grown tumor models with accurately controlled structural features. This review focuses on the abnormal changes within the ECM during tumorigenesis and its implications on tumor cell-matrix mechanoreciprocity. Additionally, it accentuates engineering approaches to produce ECM features of varying levels of complexity which is critical for improving the efficiency of current engineered tumor tissue models.
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32
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Dedroog LM, Deschaume O, Abrego CJG, Koos E, de Coene Y, Vananroye A, Thielemans W, Bartic C, Lettinga MP. Stress-controlled shear flow alignment of collagen type I hydrogel systems. Acta Biomater 2022; 150:128-137. [PMID: 35842033 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2022.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Disease research and drug screening platforms require in vitro model systems with cellular cues resembling those of natural tissues. Fibrillar alignment, occurring naturally in extracellular matrices, is one of the crucial attributes in tissue development. Obtaining fiber alignment in 3D, in vitro remains an important challenge due to non-linear material characteristics. Here, we report a cell-compatible, shear stress-based method allowing to obtain 3D homogeneously aligned fibrillar collagen hydrogels. Controlling the shear-stress during gelation results in low strain rates, with negligible effects on the viability of embedded SH-SY5Y cells. Our approach offers reproducibility and tunability through a paradigm shift: The shear-stress initiation moment, being the critical optimization parameter in the process, is related to the modulus of the developing gel, whereas state of the art methods often rely on a predefined time to initiate the alignment procedure. After curing, the induced 3D alignment is maintained after the release of stress, with a linear relation between the total acquired strain and the fiber alignment. This method is generally applicable to 3D fibrillar materials and stress/pressure-controlled setups, making it a valuable addition to the fast-growing field of tissue engineering. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Controlling fiber alignment in vitro 3D hydrogels is crucial for developing physiologically relevant model systems. However, it remains challenging due to the non-linear material characteristics of fibrillar hydrogels, limiting the scalability and repeatability. Our approach tackles these challenges by utilizing a stress-controlled rheometer allowing us to monitor structural changes in situ and determine the optimal moment for applying a shear-stress inducing alignment. By careful parameter control, we infer the relationship between time, induced strain, alignment and biocompatibility. This tunable and reproducible method is both scalable and generally applicable to any fibrillar hydrogel, therefore, we believe it is useful for research investigating the link between matrix anisotropy and cell behavior in 3D systems, organ-on-chip technologies and drug research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lens M Dedroog
- Soft Matter Physics and Biophysics Unit, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Olivier Deschaume
- Soft Matter Physics and Biophysics Unit, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Christian J Garcia Abrego
- Soft Matter Physics and Biophysics Unit, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Erin Koos
- Soft Matter, Rheology and Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Yovan de Coene
- Molecular Imaging and Photonics Unit, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Anja Vananroye
- Soft Matter, Rheology and Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wim Thielemans
- Sustainable Materials Lab Research Group, Department of Chemical Engineering, KU Leuven, Campus Kulak Kortrijk, 8500 Kortrijk, Belgium
| | - Carmen Bartic
- Soft Matter Physics and Biophysics Unit, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Minne P Lettinga
- Soft Matter Physics and Biophysics Unit, Department of Physics and Astronomy, KU Leuven, 3001 Leuven, Belgium; Biological Information Processing IB-4, Forschungszentrum Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
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Phosphorylation of eIF4E in the stroma drives the production and spatial organisation of collagen type I in the mammary gland. Matrix Biol 2022; 111:264-288. [PMID: 35842012 DOI: 10.1016/j.matbio.2022.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The extracellular matrix (ECM) plays critical roles in breast cancer development. Whether ECM composition is regulated by the phosphorylation of eIF4E on serine 209, an event required for tumorigenesis, has not been explored. Herein, we used proteomics and mouse modelling to investigate the impact of mutating serine 209 to alanine on eIF4E (i.e., S209A) on mammary gland (MG) ECM. The proteomic data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium via the PRIDE partner repository with the dataset identifier PXD028953. We discovered that S209A knock-in mice, expressing a non-phosphorylatable form of eIF4E, have less collagen-I deposition in native and tumor-bearing MGs, leading to altered tumor cell invasion. Additionally, phospho-eIF4E-deficiency impacts collagen topology; fibers at the tumor-stroma boundary in phospho-eIF4E-deficient mice run parallel to the tumor edge but radiate outwards in wild-type mice. Finally, a phospho-eIF4E-deficient tumor microenvironment resists anti-PD-1 therapy-induced collagen deposition, correlating with an increased anti-tumor response to immunotherapy. Clinically, we showed that collagen-I and phospho-eIF4E are positively correlated in human breast cancer samples, and that stromal phospho-eIF4E expression is influenced by tumor proximity. Together, our work defines the importance of phosphorylation of eIF4E on S209 as a regulator of MG collagen architecture in the tumor microenvironment, thereby positioning phospho-eIF4E as a therapeutic target to augment response to therapy.
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Merino-Casallo F, Gomez-Benito MJ, Martinez-Cantin R, Garcia-Aznar JM. A mechanistic protrusive-based model for 3D cell migration. Eur J Cell Biol 2022; 101:151255. [PMID: 35843121 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2022.151255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell migration is essential for a variety of biological processes, such as embryogenesis, wound healing, and the immune response. After more than a century of research-mainly on flat surfaces-, there are still many unknowns about cell motility. In particular, regarding how cells migrate within 3D matrices, which more accurately replicate in vivo conditions. We present a novel in silico model of 3D mesenchymal cell migration regulated by the chemical and mechanical profile of the surrounding environment. This in silico model considers cell's adhesive and nuclear phenotypes, the effects of the steric hindrance of the matrix, and cells ability to degradate the ECM. These factors are crucial when investigating the increasing difficulty that migrating cells find to squeeze their nuclei through dense matrices, which may act as physical barriers. Our results agree with previous in vitro observations where fibroblasts cultured in collagen-based hydrogels did not durotax toward regions with higher collagen concentrations. Instead, they exhibited an adurotactic behavior, following a more random trajectory. Overall, cell's migratory response in 3D domains depends on its phenotype, and the properties of the surrounding environment, that is, 3D cell motion is strongly dependent on the context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Merino-Casallo
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering (M2BE), Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), Zaragoza 50018, Spain; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50009, Spain
| | - Maria Jose Gomez-Benito
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering (M2BE), Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), Zaragoza 50018, Spain; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50009, Spain
| | - Ruben Martinez-Cantin
- Robotics, Perception and Real Time Group (RoPeRT), Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), Zaragoza 50018, Spain; Department of Computer Science and System Engineering, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50009, Spain
| | - Jose Manuel Garcia-Aznar
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering (M2BE), Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), Zaragoza 50018, Spain; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50009, Spain.
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Yin D, Zhang H, Yang C, Zhang W, Yang S. A More Biomimetic Cell Migration Assay with High Reliability and Its Applications. Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15060695. [PMID: 35745614 PMCID: PMC9229299 DOI: 10.3390/ph15060695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell migration refers to the directional movement of cells to the surrounding cell-free zone in response to chemical and mechanical stimuli. A cell migration assay is an essential device for studying pharmaceutical and medical problems. In this paper, we present a novel approach to a cell migration assay on a chip with two merits, namely (i) simultaneous creation of many cell samples on the same condition and (ii) cells migrating while being stressed in a fluidic environment. The first merit has addressed the problem of poor reproducibility in experimental studies for medical problems such as wound healing, and the second merit has made the cell migration device, which is an in vitro environment, more biomimetic. The two merits are attributed to a novel mechanical method to simultaneously create many cell-free zones and to the design of a microfluidic process to create shear stress in cells uniformly. Two applications were studied on our device to explore its effectiveness. The first application is regarding the combination chemotherapy of cisplatin and doxorubicin (Adriamycin) on cervical cancer cells (HeLa). The second application is regarding inhibiting the migration of endothelial cells (HUVEC) in the process of anti-angiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Yin
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; (D.Y.); (H.Z.)
| | - Hongbo Zhang
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; (D.Y.); (H.Z.)
| | - Chun Yang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada;
| | - Wenjun Zhang
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; (D.Y.); (H.Z.)
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A9, Canada
- Correspondence: (W.Z.); (S.Y.)
| | - Shihmo Yang
- School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China; (D.Y.); (H.Z.)
- Biomedical Science and Technology Research Centre, School of Mechatronic Engineering and Automation, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
- Correspondence: (W.Z.); (S.Y.)
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Cui Y, Jiang N. Identification of a seven-gene signature predicting clinical outcome of liver cancer based on tumor mutational burden. Hum Cell 2022; 35:1192-1206. [PMID: 35622212 DOI: 10.1007/s13577-022-00708-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The total number of somatic mutations may affect the prognosis of cancer, so we applied bioinformatics methods to investigate the association between the TMB (tumor mutational burden)-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We calculated the TMB value of the patients with HCC in TCGA database and identified the differentially expressed genes between the high-TMB and low-TMB patients. We performed functional enrichment analysis and LASSO Cox regression analysis of the DEGs, and seven genes were screened to establish a risk score model. A nomogram based on the risk scores was drawn to assess the predictive outcomes compared to the actual outcomes. The expression level of the seven genes was verified in cancer cell lines. Moreover, we explored the difference in immune cells infiltration and immune checkpoints between the high-risk and low-risk groups. The results showed that the DEGs between the high-TMB and low-TMB patients were enriched in extracellular matrix organization. A seven-gene risk score model (PAGE1, CHGA, OGN, MMP7, TRIM55, MAGEA6, and MAGEA12) was established for predicting HCC prognosis. Patients with lower risk scores had longer survival time and lower mortality rate. The nomogram based on risk scores and TNM staging showed good performance and reliability in predicting the clinical outcomes. Significant differences in cell infiltration and checkpoints were found between the high-risk and low-risk groups. Our study demonstrated a seven-gene signature and a nomogram based on the risk score model to predict the prognosis of HCC. Some of the newly identified DEGs may be potential biomarkers or therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunlong Cui
- Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, 300060, Tianjin, People's Republic of China
| | - Ning Jiang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Exercise Physiology and Sports Medicine, Tianjin University of Sport, 301617, Tianjin, People's Republic of China.
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37
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Jagiełło A, Hu Q, Castillo U, Botvinick E. Patterned photocrosslinking to establish stiffness anisotropies in fibrous 3D hydrogels. Acta Biomater 2022; 141:39-47. [PMID: 34971786 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.12.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Revised: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Cells are known to constantly interact with their local extracellular matrix (ECM) and respond to a variety of biochemical and mechanical cues received from the ECM. Nonetheless, comprehensive understanding of cell-ECM interactions has been elusive. Many studies rely on analysis of cell behavior on 2D substrates, which do not reflect a natural cell environment. Further, lack of dynamic control over local stiffness anisotropies and fiber alignment hinders progress in studies in naturally derived fibrous 3D cultures. Here, we present a cell-safe method of patterned photocrosslinking, which can aid in studying biological hypotheses related to mechanotransduction in 3D hydrogels. As previously described by our group, ruthenium-catalyzed photocrosslinking (RCP) of selected ECM regions promotes localized increase in stiffness mediated by focused blue laser light in a confocal microscope. In this study, we further demonstrate that RCP can induce localized strain stiffening and fiber alignment outside of the selected crosslinked region and induce stiffness anisotropy biased towards the direction of fiber alignment. MDA-MB-231 cells are shown to respond to RCP-induced changes in local ECM architecture and display directional bias towards the direction of fiber alignment, as compared to control cells. Further, the effect of patterned crosslinking on a stiffness landscape is measured using multi-axes optical tweezers active microrheology (AMR) with backscattered laser beam illumination. AMR validates RCP as a suitable tool for creating distinct stiffness anisotropies which promote directed migration of cells, further underscoring the usefulness of RCP in cell-ECM studies. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Studies on cell-ECM interactions in 3D cultures have often been hindered by the lack of available tools to dynamically alter local ECM stiffness and fiber alignment. Here, we present a non-invasive, cell-safe and easily applicable method of patterned photocrosslinking, which can aid in studying biological hypotheses in fibrous 3D hydrogels. Ruthenium-catalyzed crosslinking (RCP) of selected fibrin ECM regions promotes localized increase in stiffness and creates distinct stiffness anisotropies in the presence of the focused blue laser light. Outside of the crosslinked region, RCP causes fiber alignment and strain stiffening in the ECM, verified using multi-axes optical tweezers active microrheology (AMR). Following RCP, human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 exhibit directed cell migration, validating usefulness of this method in cell-ECM studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicja Jagiełło
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697-2730, United States
| | - Qingda Hu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697-2730, United States; Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697-2280, United States
| | - Ulysses Castillo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697-2730, United States
| | - Elliot Botvinick
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697-2730, United States; Center for Complex Biological Systems, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697-2280, United States; Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92612, United States; Department of Surgery, University of California Irvine, 333 City Boulevard, Suite 700, Orange, CA, 92868, United States; The Edwards Lifesciences Foundation Cardiovascular Innovation and Research Center, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, 92697-2730, United States.
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38
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Kociołek M, Kozłowski M, Cardone A. A Convolutional Neural Networks-Based Approach for Texture Directionality Detection. SENSORS 2022; 22:s22020562. [PMID: 35062522 PMCID: PMC8778371 DOI: 10.3390/s22020562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The perceived texture directionality is an important, not fully explored image characteristic. In many applications texture directionality detection is of fundamental importance. Several approaches have been proposed, such as the fast Fourier-based method. We recently proposed a method based on the interpolated grey-level co-occurrence matrix (iGLCM), robust to image blur and noise but slower than the Fourier-based method. Here we test the applicability of convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to texture directionality detection. To obtain the large amount of training data required, we built a training dataset consisting of synthetic textures with known directionality and varying perturbation levels. Subsequently, we defined and tested shallow and deep CNN architectures. We present the test results focusing on the CNN architectures and their robustness with respect to image perturbations. We identify the best performing CNN architecture, and compare it with the iGLCM, the Fourier and the local gradient orientation methods. We find that the accuracy of CNN is lower, yet comparable to the iGLCM, and it outperforms the other two methods. As expected, the CNN method shows the highest computing speed. Finally, we demonstrate the best performing CNN on real-life images. Visual analysis suggests that the learned patterns generalize to real-life image data. Hence, CNNs represent a promising approach for texture directionality detection, warranting further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcin Kociołek
- Institute of Electronics, Lodz University of Technology, Al. Politechniki 10, 93-590 Łódź, Poland
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +48-603-291-300
| | - Michał Kozłowski
- Department of Mechatronics, Faculty of Technical Science, University of Warmia and Mazury, Ul. Oczapowskiego 11, 10-710 Olsztyn, Poland;
| | - Antonio Cardone
- Information Technology Laboratory, Software and Systems Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA;
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39
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Sun M, Huang K, Luo X, Li H. Templated Three-Dimensional Engineered Bone Matrix as a Model for Breast Cancer Osteolytic Bone Metastasis Process. Int J Nanomedicine 2022; 16:8391-8403. [PMID: 35002234 PMCID: PMC8727640 DOI: 10.2147/ijn.s338609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Bone metastasis is one of the common causes of death relative to breast cancer. However, the evolvement of bone niche in cancer progression remains poorly understood. A three-dimensional (3D) engineered bone matrix was developed as an effective biomimetic model to explore the mechanism relative to bone cancer metastasis. Methods In the study, a 3D engineered bone matrix was developed via cell biomineralization templated by a biomimetic collagen template. The process of bone metastasis relative to breast cancer was investigated by co-culturing breast cancer MDA-MB-231-GFP cells with pre-osteogenic MC3T3-E1 cells on the 3D bone matrix. Results A typical bone matrix was obtained, where mineralized collagen fibers were packed into the bundle to form a 3D engineered bone matrix. As the cancer cells were invading along the way vertical to the alignment of mineralized collagen fiber, the bone matrix gradually became thinner, accompanied with the erosion of Col I and the loss of calcium and phosphorus. As a result, the disassembled structure of mineralized collagen fiber was observed, which may be attributed to osteolytic bone metastasis. Conclusion An engineered 3D bone-like matrix was successfully prepared via cell mineralization, which can act as a model for bone metastasis process. The study revealed mineralized collagen fiber disassembled at nanoscale relative to breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manman Sun
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Ke Huang
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Xueshi Luo
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.,Department of Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Hong Li
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, College of Chemistry and Materials Science, Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
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40
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Sahoo S, Ashraf B, Duddu AS, Biddle A, Jolly MK. Interconnected high-dimensional landscapes of epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity and stemness in cancer. Clin Exp Metastasis 2022; 39:279-290. [PMID: 34993766 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-021-10139-2] [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: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Establishing macrometastases at distant organs is a highly challenging process for cancer cells, with extremely high attrition rates. A very small percentage of disseminated cells have the ability to dynamically adapt to their changing micro-environments through reversibly switching to another phenotype, aiding metastasis. Such plasticity can be exhibited along one or more axes-epithelial-mesenchymal plasticity (EMP) and cancer stem cells (CSCs) being the two most studied, and often tacitly assumed to be synonymous. Here, we review the emerging concepts related to EMP and CSCs across multiple cancers. Both processes are multi-dimensional in nature; for instance, EMP can be defined on morphological, molecular and functional changes, which may or may not be synchronized. Similarly, self-renewal, multi-lineage potential, and resistance to anoikis and/or therapy may not all occur simultaneously in CSCs. Thus, understanding the complexity in defining EMP and CSCs is essential if we are to understand their contribution to cancer metastasis. This will require a more comprehensive understanding of the non-linearity of these processes. These processes are dynamic, reversible, and semi-independent in nature; cells traverse the inter-connected high-dimensional EMP and CSC landscapes in diverse paths, each of which may exhibit a distinct EMP-CSC coupling. Our proposed model offers a potential unifying framework for elucidating the coupled decision-making along these dimensions and highlights a key set of open questions to be answered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarthak Sahoo
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering (BSSE), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India.,UG Programme, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Bazella Ashraf
- Department of Biotechnology, Central University of Kashmir, Ganderbal, India
| | - Atchuta Srinivas Duddu
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering (BSSE), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India
| | - Adrian Biddle
- Blizard Institute, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Centre for BioSystems Science and Engineering (BSSE), Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, 560012, India.
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Ray A, Callaway MK, Rodríguez-Merced NJ, Crampton AL, Carlson M, Emme KB, Ensminger EA, Kinne AA, Schrope JH, Rasmussen HR, Jiang H, DeNardo DG, Wood DK, Provenzano PP. Stromal architecture directs early dissemination in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. JCI Insight 2021; 7:150330. [PMID: 34914633 PMCID: PMC8855836 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.150330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is an extremely metastatic and lethal disease. Here, in both murine and human PDA, we demonstrate that extracellular matrix architecture regulates cell extrusion and subsequent invasion from intact ductal structures through tumor-associated collagen signatures (TACS). This results in early dissemination from histologically premalignant lesions and continual invasion from well-differentiated disease, and it suggests TACS as a biomarker to aid in the pathologic assessment of early disease. Furthermore, we show that pancreatitis results in invasion-conducive architectures, thus priming the stroma prior to malignant disease. Analysis in potentially novel microfluidic-derived microtissues and in vivo demonstrates decreased extrusion and invasion following focal adhesion kinase (FAK) inhibition, consistent with decreased metastasis. Thus, data suggest that targeting FAK or strategies to reengineer and normalize tumor microenvironments may have roles not only in very early disease, but also for limiting continued dissemination from unresectable disease. Likewise, it may be beneficial to employ stroma-targeting strategies to resolve precursor diseases such as pancreatitis in order to remove stromal architectures that increase risk for early dissemination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arja Ray
- Department of Biomedical Engineeirng, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States of America
| | - Mackenzie K Callaway
- Department of Biomedical Engineeirng, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States of America
| | - Nelson J Rodríguez-Merced
- Department of Biomedical Engineeirng, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States of America
| | - Alexandra L Crampton
- Department of Biomedical Engineeirng, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States of America
| | - Marjorie Carlson
- Department of Biomedical Engineeirng, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States of America
| | - Kenneth B Emme
- Department of Biomedical Engineeirng, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States of America
| | - Ethan A Ensminger
- Department of Biomedical Engineeirng, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States of America
| | - Alexander A Kinne
- Department of Biomedical Engineeirng, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States of America
| | - Jonathan H Schrope
- Department of Biomedical Engineeirng, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States of America
| | - Haley R Rasmussen
- Department of Biomedical Engineeirng, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States of America
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States of America
| | - David G DeNardo
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, United States of America
| | - David K Wood
- Department of Biomedical Engineeirng, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States of America
| | - Paolo P Provenzano
- Department of Biomedical Engineeirng, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, United States of America
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42
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Choi HK, Kim CH, Lee SN, Kim TH, Oh BK. Nano-sized graphene oxide coated nanopillars on microgroove polymer arrays that enhance skeletal muscle cell differentiation. NANO CONVERGENCE 2021; 8:40. [PMID: 34862954 PMCID: PMC8643291 DOI: 10.1186/s40580-021-00291-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The degeneration or loss of skeletal muscles, which can be caused by traumatic injury or disease, impacts most aspects of human activity. Among various techniques reported to regenerate skeletal muscle tissue, controlling the external cellular environment has been proven effective in guiding muscle differentiation. In this study, we report a nano-sized graphene oxide (sGO)-modified nanopillars on microgroove hybrid polymer array (NMPA) that effectively controls skeletal muscle cell differentiation. sGO-coated NMPA (sG-NMPA) were first fabricated by sequential laser interference lithography and microcontact printing methods. To compensate for the low adhesion property of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) used in this study, graphene oxide (GO), a proven cytophilic nanomaterial, was further modified. Among various sizes of GO, sGO (< 10 nm) was found to be the most effective not only for coating the surface of the NM structure but also for enhancing the cell adhesion and spreading on the fabricated substrates. Remarkably, owing to the micro-sized line patterns that guide cellular morphology to an elongated shape and because of the presence of sGO-modified nanostructures, mouse myoblast cells (C2C12) were efficiently differentiated into skeletal muscle cells on the hybrid patterns, based on the myosin heavy chain expression levels. Therefore, the developed sGO coated polymeric hybrid pattern arrays can serve as a potential platform for rapid and highly efficient in vitro muscle cell generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hye Kyu Choi
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul, 04170, South Korea
| | - Cheol-Hwi Kim
- School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Korea
| | | | - Tae-Hyung Kim
- School of Integrative Engineering, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, 06974, Korea.
| | - Byung-Keun Oh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Sogang University, Seoul, 04170, South Korea.
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Yaegashi LB, Baldavira CM, Prieto TG, Machado-Rugolo J, Velosa APP, da Silveira LKR, Assato A, Ab'Saber AM, Falzoni R, Takagaki T, Silva PL, Teodoro WR, Capelozzi VL. In Situ Overexpression of Matricellular Mechanical Proteins Demands Functional Immune Signature and Mitigates Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Progression. Front Immunol 2021; 12:714230. [PMID: 34484217 PMCID: PMC8415570 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.714230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is a complex cancer biome composed of malignant cells embedded in a sophisticated tumor microenvironment (TME) combined with different initiating cell types, including immune cells and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. However, little is known about these tumors’ immune-matricellular relationship as functional and mechanical barriers. This study investigated 120 patients with NSCLC to describe the immune-matricellular phenotypes of their TME and their relationship with malignant cells. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was performed to characterize immune checkpoints (PD-L1, LAG-3, CTLA-4+, VISTA 1), T cells (CD3+), cytotoxic T cells (CD8+, Granzyme B), macrophages (CD68+), regulatory T cells (FOXP3+, CD4+), natural killer cells (CD57+), and B lymphocytes (CD20+), whereas CAFs and collagen types I, III, and V were characterized by immunofluorescence (IF). We observed two distinct functional immune-cellular barriers—the first of which showed proximity between malignant cells and cytotoxic T cells, and the second of which showed distant proximity between non-cohesive nests of malignant cells and regulatory T cells. We also identified three tumor-associated matricellular barriers: the first, with a localized increase in CAFs and a low deposition of Col V, the second with increased CAFs, Col III and Col I fibers, and the third with a high amount of Col fibers and CAFs bundled and aligned perpendicularly to the tumor border. The Cox regression analysis was designed in two steps. First, we investigated the relationship between the immune-matricellular components and tumor pathological stage (I, II, and IIIA), and better survival rates were seen in patients whose tumors expressed collagen type III > 24.89 fibers/mm². Then, we included patients who had progressed to pathological stage IV and found an association between poor survival and tumor VISTA 1 expression > 52.86 cells/mm² and CD3+ ≤ 278.5 cells/mm². We thus concluded that differential patterns in the distribution of immune-matricellular phenotypes in the TME of NSCLC patients could be used in translational studies to predict new treatment strategies and improve patient outcome. These data raise the possibility that proteins with mechanical barrier function in NSCLC may be used by cancer cells to protect them from immune cell infiltration and immune-mediated destruction, which can otherwise be targeted effectively with immunotherapy or collagen therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Juliana Machado-Rugolo
- Department of Pathology, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.,Health Technology Assessment Center (NATS), Clinical Hospital (HCFMB), Medical School of São Paulo State University (UNESP), Botucatu, Brazil
| | - Ana Paula Pereira Velosa
- Rheumatology Division of the Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Aline Assato
- Department of Pathology, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Roberto Falzoni
- Department of Pathology, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Teresa Takagaki
- Division of Pneumology, Instituto do Coração (Incor), University of São Paulo Medical School (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro Leme Silva
- Laboratory of Pulmonary Investigation, Carlos Chagas Filho Biophysics Institute, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Centro de Ciências da Saúde, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.,National Institute of Science and Technology for Regenerative Medicine, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Walcy Rosolia Teodoro
- Rheumatology Division of the Hospital das Clinicas, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Vera Luiza Capelozzi
- Department of Pathology, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil
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44
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Tan ML, Ling L, Fischbach C. Engineering strategies to capture the biological and biophysical tumor microenvironment in vitro. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021; 176:113852. [PMID: 34197895 PMCID: PMC8440401 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2021.113852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Despite decades of research and advancements in diagnostic and treatment modalities, cancer remains a major global healthcare challenge. This is due in part to a lack of model systems that allow investigating the mechanisms underlying tumor development, progression, and therapy resistance under relevant conditions in vitro. Tumor cell interactions with their surroundings influence all stages of tumorigenesis and are shaped by both biological and biophysical cues including cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions, tissue architecture and mechanics, and mass transport. Engineered tumor models provide promising platforms to elucidate the individual and combined contributions of these cues to tumor malignancy under controlled and physiologically relevant conditions. This review will summarize current knowledge of the biological and biophysical microenvironmental cues that influence tumor development and progression, present examples of in vitro model systems that are presently used to study these interactions and highlight advancements in tumor engineering approaches to further improve these technologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew L Tan
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Lu Ling
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Claudia Fischbach
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA; Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA.
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45
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Janjanam J, Pano G, Wang R, Minden-Birkenmaier BA, Breeze-Jones H, Baker E, Garcin C, Clayton G, Shirinifard A, Zaske AM, Finkelstein D, Labelle M. Matricellular protein WISP2 is an endogenous inhibitor of collagen linearization and cancer metastasis. Cancer Res 2021; 81:5666-5677. [PMID: 34385183 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-20-3982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2020] [Revised: 07/06/2021] [Accepted: 08/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Collagen remodeling contributes to many physiological and pathological processes. In primary tumors, the linearization of collagen fibers promotes cancer cell invasion and metastasis and is indicative of poor prognosis. However, it remains unknown whether there are endogenous inhibitors of collagen linearization that could be exploited therapeutically. Here, we show that collagen linearization is controlled by two secreted matricellular proteins with antagonistic functions. Specifically, WISP1 was secreted by cancer cells, bound to type I collagen (Col I), and linearized Col I via its cysteine-rich C-terminal (CT) domain. In contrast, WISP2, which lacks a CT domain, inhibited Col I linearization by preventing WISP1-Col I binding. Analysis of patient data revealed that WISP2 expression is lower in most solid tumors, in comparison to normal tissues. Consequently, genetic or pharmacological restoration of higher WISP2 levels impaired collagen linearization and prevented tumor cell invasion and metastasis in vivo in models of human and murine breast cancer. Thus, this study uncovers WISP2 as the first inhibitor of collagen linearization ever identified and reveals that collagen architecture can be normalized and metastasis inhibited by therapeutically restoring a high WISP2:WISP1 ratio.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Glendin Pano
- Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
| | - Ruishan Wang
- Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
| | | | | | - Eleanor Baker
- Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
| | - Cecile Garcin
- Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
| | - Georgia Clayton
- Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
| | | | - Ana Maria Zaske
- Department of Internal Medicine, UTHealth - The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
| | | | - Myriam Labelle
- Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
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Hiraki HL, Matera DL, Rose MJ, Kent RN, Todd CW, Stout ME, Wank AE, Schiavone MC, DePalma SJ, Zarouk AA, Baker BM. Magnetic Alignment of Electrospun Fiber Segments Within a Hydrogel Composite Guides Cell Spreading and Migration Phenotype Switching. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2021; 9:679165. [PMID: 34222216 PMCID: PMC8242362 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2021.679165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrous extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins provide mechanical structure and adhesive scaffolding to resident cells within stromal tissues. Aligned ECM fibers play an important role in directing morphogenetic processes, supporting mechanical loads, and facilitating cell migration. Various methods have been developed to align matrix fibers in purified biopolymer hydrogels, such as type I collagen, including flow-induced alignment, uniaxial tensile deformation, and magnetic particles. However, purified biopolymers have limited orthogonal tunability of biophysical cues including stiffness, fiber density, and fiber alignment. Here, we generate synthetic, cell-adhesive fiber segments of the same length-scale as stromal fibrous proteins through electrospinning. Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) embedded in synthetic fiber segments enable magnetic field induced alignment of fibers within an amorphous bulk hydrogel. We find that SPION density and magnetic field strength jointly influence fiber alignment and identify conditions to control the degree of alignment. Tuning fiber length allowed the alignment of dense fibrous hydrogel composites without fiber entanglement or regional variation in the degree of alignment. Functionalization of fiber segments with cell adhesive peptides induced tendon fibroblasts to adopt a uniaxial morphology akin to within native tendon. Furthermore, we demonstrate the utility of this hydrogel composite to direct multicellular migration from MCF10A spheroids and find that fiber alignment prompts invading multicellular strands to separate into disconnected single cells and multicellular clusters. These magnetic fiber segments can be readily incorporated into other natural and synthetic hydrogels and aligned with inexpensive and easily accessible rare earth magnets, without the need for specialized equipment. 3D hydrogel composites where stiffness/crosslinking, fiber density, and fiber alignment can be orthogonally tuned may provide insights into morphogenetic and pathogenic processes that involve matrix fiber alignment and can enable systematic investigation of the individual contribution of each biophysical cue to cell behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harrison L. Hiraki
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Daniel L. Matera
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Michael J. Rose
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Robert N. Kent
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Connor W. Todd
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Mark E. Stout
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Anya E. Wank
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Maria C. Schiavone
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Samuel J. DePalma
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Alexander A. Zarouk
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Brendon M. Baker
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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47
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Su CY, Burchett A, Dunworth M, Choi JS, Ewald AJ, Ahn EH, Kim DH. Engineering a 3D collective cancer invasion model with control over collagen fiber alignment. Biomaterials 2021; 275:120922. [PMID: 34126408 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2021.120922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 05/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Prior to cancer cell invasion, the structure of the extracellular matrix (ECM) surrounding the tumor is remodeled, such that circumferentially oriented matrix fibers become radially aligned. This predisposed radially aligned matrix structure serves as a critical regulator of cancer invasion. However, a biomimetic 3D model recapitulating a tumor's behavioral response to these ECM structures is not yet available. In this study, we have developed a phase-specific, force-guided method to establish a 3D dual topographical tumor model in which each tumor spheroid/organoid is surrounded by radially aligned collagen I fibers on one side and circumferentially oriented fibers on the opposite side. A coaxial rotating cylinder system was employed to construct the dual fiber topography and to pre-seed tumor spheroids/organoids within a single device. This system enables the application of different force mechanisms in the nucleation and elongation phases of collagen fiber polymerization to guide fiber alignment. In the nucleation phase, fiber alignment is enhanced by a horizontal laminar Couette flow driven by the inner cylinder rotation. In the elongation phase, fiber growth is guided by a vertical gravitational force to form a large aligned collagen matrix gel (35 × 25 × 0.5 mm) embedded with >1000 tumor spheroids. The fibers above each tumor spheroid are radially aligned along the direction of gravitational force in contrast to the circumferentially oriented fibers beneath each tumor spheroid/organoid, where the presence of the tumor interferes with the gravity-induced fiber alignment. After tumor invasion, there are more disseminated multicellular clusters on the radially aligned side, compared to the side of the tumor spheroid/organoid facing circumferentially oriented fibers. These results indicate that our 3D dual topographical model recapitulates the preference of tumors to invade and disseminate along radially aligned fibers. We anticipate that this 3D dual topographical model will have broad utility to those studying collective tumor invasion and that it has the potential to identify cancer invasion-targeted therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Yi Su
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Alice Burchett
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Matthew Dunworth
- Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jong Seob Choi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Andrew J Ewald
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Cell Biology and Center for Cell Dynamics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Eun Hyun Ahn
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Deok-Ho Kim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States; Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States.
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48
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Tilbury K, Han X, Brooks PC, Khalil A. Multiscale anisotropy analysis of second-harmonic generation collagen imaging of mouse skin. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2021; 26:JBO-210044R. [PMID: 34159763 PMCID: PMC8217961 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.26.6.065002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Morphological collagen signatures are important for tissue function, particularly in the tumor microenvironment. A single algorithmic framework with quantitative, multiscale morphological collagen feature extraction may further the use of collagen signatures in understanding fundamental tumor progression. AIM A modification of the 2D wavelet transform modulus maxima (WTMM) anisotropy method was applied to both digitally simulated collagen fibers and second-harmonic-generation imaged collagen fibers of mouse skin to calculate a multiscale anisotropy factor to detect collagen fiber organization. APPROACH The modified 2D WTMM anisotropy method was initially validated on synthetic calibration images to establish the robustness and sensitivity of the multiscale fiber organization tool. Upon validation, the algorithm was applied to collagen fiber organization in normal wild-type skin, melanoma stimulated skin, and integrin α10KO skin. RESULTS Normal wild-type skin collagen fibers have an increased anisotropy factor at all sizes scales. Interestingly, the multiscale anisotropy differences highlight important dissimilarities between collagen fiber organization in normal wild-type skin, melanoma stimulated, and integrin α10KO skin. At small scales (∼2 to 3 μm), the integrin α10KO skin was vastly different than normal skin (p-value ∼ 10 - 8), whereas the melanoma stimulated skin was vastly different than normal at large scales (∼30 to 40 μm, p-value ∼ 10 - 15). CONCLUSIONS This objective computational collagen fiber organization algorithm is sensitive to collagen fiber organization across multiple scales for effective exploration of collagen morphological alterations associated with melanoma and the lack of α10 integrin binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karissa Tilbury
- University of Maine, Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Orono, Maine, United States
| | - XiangHua Han
- Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Scarborough, Maine, United States
| | - Peter C. Brooks
- Maine Medical Center Research Institute, Scarborough, Maine, United States
| | - Andre Khalil
- University of Maine, Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, Orono, Maine, United States
- University of Maine, CompuMAINE Lab., Orono, Maine, United States
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49
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Ahmed A, Joshi IM, Mansouri M, Ahamed NNN, Hsu MC, Gaborski TR, Abhyankar VV. Engineering fiber anisotropy within natural collagen hydrogels. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2021; 320:C1112-C1124. [PMID: 33852366 PMCID: PMC8285641 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00036.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 04/06/2021] [Accepted: 04/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
It is well known that biophysical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM), including stiffness, porosity, composition, and fiber alignment (anisotropy), play a crucial role in controlling cell behavior in vivo. Type I collagen (collagen I) is a ubiquitous structural component in the ECM and has become a popular hydrogel material that can be tuned to replicate the mechanical properties found in vivo. In this review article, we describe popular methods to create 2-D and 3-D collagen I hydrogels with anisotropic fiber architectures. We focus on methods that can be readily translated from engineering and materials science laboratories to the life-science community with the overall goal of helping to increase the physiological relevance of cell culture assays.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adeel Ahmed
- Department of Microsystems Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York
| | - Indranil M Joshi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York
| | - Mehran Mansouri
- Department of Microsystems Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York
| | - Nuzhet N N Ahamed
- Department of Microsystems Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York
| | - Meng-Chun Hsu
- Department of Microsystems Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York
| | - Thomas R Gaborski
- Department of Microsystems Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York
| | - Vinay V Abhyankar
- Department of Microsystems Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York
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50
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Engineering T cells to enhance 3D migration through structurally and mechanically complex tumor microenvironments. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2815. [PMID: 33990566 PMCID: PMC8121808 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22985-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Defining the principles of T cell migration in structurally and mechanically complex tumor microenvironments is critical to understanding escape from antitumor immunity and optimizing T cell-related therapeutic strategies. Here, we engineered nanotextured elastic platforms to study and enhance T cell migration through complex microenvironments and define how the balance between contractility localization-dependent T cell phenotypes influences migration in response to tumor-mimetic structural and mechanical cues. Using these platforms, we characterize a mechanical optimum for migration that can be perturbed by manipulating an axis between microtubule stability and force generation. In 3D environments and live tumors, we demonstrate that microtubule instability, leading to increased Rho pathway-dependent cortical contractility, promotes migration whereas clinically used microtubule-stabilizing chemotherapies profoundly decrease effective migration. We show that rational manipulation of the microtubule-contractility axis, either pharmacologically or through genome engineering, results in engineered T cells that more effectively move through and interrogate 3D matrix and tumor volumes. Thus, engineering cells to better navigate through 3D microenvironments could be part of an effective strategy to enhance efficacy of immune therapeutics. The mechanics of the migration of T cells into tumours is an important aspect of tumour immunity. Here the authors engineer complex 3D environments to explore functions of microtubules and cell contractility as strategies to enhance T cell migration in tumour microenvironments.
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