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Kondapaneni RV, Gurung SK, Nakod PS, Goodarzi K, Yakati V, Lenart NA, Rao SS. Glioblastoma mechanobiology at multiple length scales. BIOMATERIALS ADVANCES 2024; 160:213860. [PMID: 38640876 DOI: 10.1016/j.bioadv.2024.213860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024]
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a primary brain cancer, is one of the most aggressive forms of human cancer, with a very low patient survival rate. A characteristic feature of GBM is the diffuse infiltration of tumor cells into the surrounding brain extracellular matrix (ECM) that provide biophysical, topographical, and biochemical cues. In particular, ECM stiffness and composition is known to play a key role in controlling various GBM cell behaviors including proliferation, migration, invasion, as well as the stem-like state and response to chemotherapies. In this review, we discuss the mechanical characteristics of the GBM microenvironment at multiple length scales, and how biomaterial scaffolds such as polymeric hydrogels, and fibers, as well as microfluidic chip-based platforms have been employed as tissue mimetic models to study GBM mechanobiology. We also highlight how such tissue mimetic models can impact the field of GBM mechanobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raghu Vamsi Kondapaneni
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Sumiran Kumar Gurung
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Pinaki S Nakod
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Kasra Goodarzi
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Venu Yakati
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Nicholas A Lenart
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Shreyas S Rao
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA.
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Ang I, Yousafzai MS, Yadav V, Mohler K, Rinehart J, Bouklas N, Murrell M. Elastocapillary effects determine early matrix deformation by glioblastoma cell spheroids. APL Bioeng 2024; 8:026109. [PMID: 38706957 PMCID: PMC11069407 DOI: 10.1063/5.0191765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
During cancer pathogenesis, cell-generated mechanical stresses lead to dramatic alterations in the mechanical and organizational properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM). To date, contraction of the ECM is largely attributed to local mechanical stresses generated during cell invasion, but the impact of "elastocapillary" effects from surface tension on the tumor periphery has not been examined. Here, we embed glioblastoma cell spheroids within collagen gels, as a model of tumors within the ECM. We then modulate the surface tension of the spheroids, such that the spheroid contracts or expands. Surprisingly, in both cases, at the far-field, the ECM is contracted toward the spheroids prior to cellular migration from the spheroid into the ECM. Through computational simulation, we demonstrate that contraction of the ECM arises from a balance of spheroid surface tension, cell-ECM interactions, and time-dependent, poroelastic effects of the gel. This leads to the accumulation of ECM near the periphery of the spheroid and the contraction of the ECM without regard to the expansion or contraction of the spheroid. These results highlight the role of tissue-level surface stresses and fluid flow within the ECM in the regulation of cell-ECM interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Ang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
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3
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Chong LH, Yip AK, Farm HJ, Mahmoud LN, Zeng Y, Chiam KH. The role of cell-matrix adhesion and cell migration in breast tumor growth and progression. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1339251. [PMID: 38374894 PMCID: PMC10875056 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1339251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
During breast cancer progression, there is typically increased collagen deposition resulting in elevated extracellular matrix rigidity. This results in changes to cell-matrix adhesion and cell migration, impacting processes such as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and metastasis. We aim to investigate the roles of cell-matrix adhesion and cell migration on breast tumor growth and progression by studying the impacts of different types of extracellular matrices and their rigidities. We embedded MCF7 spheroids within three-dimensional (3D) collagen matrices and agarose matrices. MCF7 cells adhere to collagen but not agarose. Contrasting the results between these two matrices allows us to infer the role of cell-matrix adhesion. We found that MCF7 spheroids exhibited the fastest growth rate when embedded in a collagen matrix with a rigidity of 5.1 kPa (0.5 mg/mL collagen), whereas, for the agarose matrix, the rigidity for the fastest growth rate is 15 kPa (1.0% agarose) instead. This discrepancy is attributable to the presence of cell adhesion molecules in the collagen matrix, which initiates collagen matrix remodeling and facilitates cell migration from the tumor through the EMT. As breast tumors do not adhere to agarose matrices, it is suitable to simulate the cell-cell interactions during the early stage of breast tumor growth. We conducted further analysis to characterize the stresses exerted by the expanding spheroid on the agarose matrix. We identified two distinct MCF7 cell populations, namely, those that are non-dividing and those that are dividing, which exerted low and high expansion stresses on the agarose matrix, respectively. We confirmed this using Western blot which showed the upregulation of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, a proliferation marker, in spheroids grown in the 1.0% agarose (≈13 kPa). By treating the embedded MCF7 spheroids with an inhibitor or activator of myosin contractility, we showed that the optimum spheroids' growth can be increased or decreased, respectively. This finding suggests that tumor growth in the early stage, where cell-cell interaction is more prominent, is determined by actomyosin tension, which alters cell rounding pressure during cell division. However, when breast tumors begin generating collagen into the surrounding matrix, collagen remodeling triggers EMT to promote cell migration and invasion, ultimately leading to metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lor Huai Chong
- Bioinformatics Institute, ASTAR, Singapore, Singapore
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia
| | - Ai Kia Yip
- Bioinformatics Institute, ASTAR, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hui Jia Farm
- Bioinformatics Institute, ASTAR, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Computer Science, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Lamees N. Mahmoud
- Biomedical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Helwan University, Helwan, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Yukai Zeng
- Bioinformatics Institute, ASTAR, Singapore, Singapore
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4
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Patil LS, Varner VD. Toward Measuring the Mechanical Stresses Exerted by Branching Embryonic Airway Epithelial Explants in 3D Matrices of Matrigel. Ann Biomed Eng 2022; 50:1143-1157. [PMID: 35718813 PMCID: PMC9590229 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-022-02989-y] [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: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Numerous organs in the bodies of animals, including the lung, kidney, and mammary gland, contain ramified networks of epithelial tubes. These structures arise during development via a process known as branching morphogenesis. Previous studies have shown that mechanical forces directly impact this process, but the patterns of mechanical stress exerted by branching embryonic epithelia are not well understood. This is, in part, owing to a lack of experimental tools. Traditional traction force microscopy assays rely on the use of compliant hydrogels with well-defined mechanical properties. Isolated embryonic epithelial explants, however, have only been shown to branch in three-dimensional matrices of reconstituted basement membrane protein, or Matrigel, a biomaterial with poorly characterized mechanical behavior, especially in the regime of large deformations. Here, to compute the traction stresses generated by branching epithelial explants, we quantified the finite-deformation constitutive behavior of gels of reconstituted basement membrane protein subjected to multi-axial mechanical loads. We then modified the mesenchyme-free assay for the ex vivo culture of isolated embryonic airway epithelial explants by suspending fluorescent microspheres within the surrounding gel and tracking their motion during culture. Surprisingly, the tracked bead motion was non-zero in regions of the gel far away from the explants, suggestive of passive swelling deformations within the matrix. To compute accurate traction stresses, these swelling deformations must be decomposed from those generated by the branching explants. We thus tracked the motion of beads suspended within cell-free matrices and quantified spatiotemporal patterns of gel swelling. Taken together, these passive swelling data can be combined with the measured mechanical properties of the gel to compute the traction forces exerted by intact embryonic epithelial explants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lokesh S Patil
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA
| | - Victor D Varner
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, USA.
- Department of Surgery, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA.
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Zhang T, Jia Y, Yu Y, Zhang B, Xu F, Guo H. Targeting the tumor biophysical microenvironment to reduce resistance to immunotherapy. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2022; 186:114319. [PMID: 35545136 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2022.114319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2021] [Revised: 04/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Immunotherapy based on immune checkpoint inhibitors has evolved into a new pillar of cancer treatment in clinics, but dealing with treatment resistance (either primary or acquired) is a major challenge. The tumor microenvironment (TME) has a substantial impact on the pathological behaviors and treatment response of many cancers. The biophysical clues in TME have recently been considered as important characteristics of cancer. Furthermore, there is mounting evidence that biophysical cues in TME play important roles in each step of the cascade of cancer immunotherapy that synergistically contribute to immunotherapy resistance. In this review, we summarize five main biophysical cues in TME that affect resistance to immunotherapy: extracellular matrix (ECM) structure, ECM stiffness, tumor interstitial fluid pressure (IFP), solid stress, and vascular shear stress. First, the biophysical factors involved in anti-tumor immunity and therapeutic antibody delivery processes are reviewed. Then, the causes of these five biophysical cues and how they contribute to immunotherapy resistance are discussed. Finally, the latest treatment strategies that aim to improve immunotherapy efficacy by targeting these biophysical cues are shared. This review highlights the biophysical cues that lead to immunotherapy resistance, also supplements their importance in related technologies for studying TME biophysical cues in vitro and therapeutic strategies targeting biophysical cues to improve the effects of immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Yuanbo Jia
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; MOE Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Yang Yu
- Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Baojun Zhang
- Department of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Center, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Feng Xu
- Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; MOE Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China.
| | - Hui Guo
- Department of Medical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China.
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Shiradkar R, Ghose S, Mahran A, Li L, Hubbard I, Fu P, Tirumani SH, Ponsky L, Purysko A, Madabhushi A. Prostate Surface Distension and Tumor Texture Descriptors From Pre-Treatment MRI Are Associated With Biochemical Recurrence Following Radical Prostatectomy: Preliminary Findings. Front Oncol 2022; 12:841801. [PMID: 35669420 PMCID: PMC9163353 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.841801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To derive and evaluate the association of prostate shape distension descriptors from T2-weighted MRI (T2WI) with prostate cancer (PCa) biochemical recurrence (BCR) post-radical prostatectomy (RP) independently and in conjunction with texture radiomics of PCa. Methods This retrospective study comprised 133 PCa patients from two institutions who underwent 3T-MRI prior to RP and were followed up with PSA measurements for ≥3 years. A 3D shape atlas-based approach was adopted to derive prostate shape distension descriptors from T2WI, and these descriptors were used to train a random forest classifier (CS) to predict BCR. Texture radiomics was derived within PCa regions of interest from T2WI and ADC maps, and another machine learning classifier (CR) was trained for BCR. An integrated classifier CS+R was then trained using predictions from CS and CR. These models were trained on D1 (N = 71, 27 BCR+) and evaluated on independent hold-out set D2 (N = 62, 12 BCR+). CS+R was compared against pre-RP, post-RP clinical variables, and extant nomograms for BCR-free survival (bFS) at 3 years. Results CS+R resulted in a higher AUC (0.75) compared to CR (0.70, p = 0.04) and CS (0.69, p = 0.01) on D2 in predicting BCR. On univariable analysis, CS+R achieved a higher hazard ratio (2.89, 95% CI 0.35–12.81, p < 0.01) compared to other pre-RP clinical variables for bFS. CS+R, pathologic Gleason grade, extraprostatic extension, and positive surgical margins were associated with bFS (p < 0.05). CS+R resulted in a higher C-index (0.76 ± 0.06) compared to CAPRA (0.69 ± 0.09, p < 0.01) and Decipher risk (0.59 ± 0.06, p < 0.01); however, it was comparable to post-RP CAPRA-S (0.75 ± 0.02, p = 0.07). Conclusions Radiomic shape descriptors quantifying prostate surface distension complement texture radiomics of prostate cancer on MRI and result in an improved association with biochemical recurrence post-radical prostatectomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rakesh Shiradkar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
- *Correspondence: Rakesh Shiradkar,
| | - Soumya Ghose
- GE Global Research, Niskayuna, NY, United States
| | - Amr Mahran
- Department of Urology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Lin Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Isaac Hubbard
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Pingfu Fu
- Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Sree Harsha Tirumani
- Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Lee Ponsky
- Department of Urology, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Andrei Purysko
- Department of Abdominal Imaging and Nuclear Radiology, Imaging Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | - Anant Madabhushi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
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Physical Forces in Glioblastoma Migration: A Systematic Review. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23074055. [PMID: 35409420 PMCID: PMC9000211 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23074055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The invasive capabilities of glioblastoma (GBM) define the cancer’s aggressiveness, treatment resistance, and overall mortality. The tumor microenvironment influences the molecular behavior of cells, both epigenetically and genetically. Current forces being studied include properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM), such as stiffness and “sensing” capabilities. There is currently limited data on the physical forces in GBM—both relating to how they influence their environment and how their environment influences them. This review outlines the advances that have been made in the field. It is our hope that further investigation of the physical forces involved in GBM will highlight new therapeutic options and increase patient survival. A search of the PubMed database was conducted through to 23 March 2022 with the following search terms: (glioblastoma) AND (physical forces OR pressure OR shear forces OR compression OR tension OR torsion) AND (migration OR invasion). Our review yielded 11 external/applied/mechanical forces and 2 tumor microenvironment (TME) forces that affect the ability of GBM to locally migrate and invade. Both external forces and forces within the tumor microenvironment have been implicated in GBM migration, invasion, and treatment resistance. We endorse further research in this area to target the physical forces affecting the migration and invasion of GBM.
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Ding X, Li M, Cheng B, Wei Z, Dong Y, Xu F. Microsphere sensors for characterizing stress fields within three-dimensional extracellular matrix. Acta Biomater 2022; 141:1-13. [PMID: 34979325 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.12.033] [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: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Stress in the three-dimensional extracellular matrix is one of the key cues in regulating multiscale biological processes. Thus far, noticeable progress in methods and techniques (e.g., micropipette aspiration, AFM, and molecule probes) has been made to quantify stress in cell microenvironment at different length scales. Among them, the microsphere sensor-based method (MSS-based method) has emerged as an advantageous approach over conventional techniques in quantifying stress in situ and in vivo at cellular and supra-cellular scales. This method is implemented by seven sequential steps, including fabrication, modification, characterization, cell adhesion, imaging, displacement field extraction and stress calculation. Precise control of each step and inter-tunning between steps can provide quantitative characterization of stress field. However, detailed procedural information associated with each step and process has been scattered. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of MSS-based method, systematically summarizing the principles and research progresses. Firstly, the basic principles are introduced, and the specific experiment and calculation processes of MSS-based method are presented in detail. Then, recent advances and applications of this method are summarized. Finally, perspectives of the limitations and development trends of MSS-based method are discussed. This specific and comprehensive review would provide a guideline for the widespread application of MSS-based method as an advantageous method for in situ and in vivo stress characterization at cellular and supra-cellular scale within three-dimensional extracellular matrix. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: In this review, a method based on a microsphere sensor (MSS-based method) as an advantageous approach over conventional techniques in quantifying stress in situ and in vivo at cellular and supra-cellular scales is introduced and discussed. This technique is implemented by seven sequential steps, including fabrication, modification, characterization, cell junction, imaging, displacement field extraction, and stress calculation. Precise control of each step and inter-tunning between steps can provide quantitative stress field. However, detailed procedural information associated with each step has been scattered. Thus, a comprehensive review collating recent advances and perspective discussions is a necessity to introduce a better option for quantifying the stress field in biological processes at the cellular and supra-cellular scales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Ding
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Moxiao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Mechanics and Control of Mechanical Structures, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, PR China
| | - Bo Cheng
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Zhao Wei
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China
| | - Yuqing Dong
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China.
| | - Feng Xu
- The Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China; Bioinspired Engineering and Biomechanics Center (BEBC), Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, PR China.
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Zhang D, Sheng Y, Piano N, Jakuszeit T, Cozens E, Dong L, Buell AK, Pollet A, Lei IM, Wang W, Terentjev E, Huang YYS. Cancer cell migration on straight, wavy, loop and grid microfibre patterns. Biofabrication 2022; 14. [PMID: 34991078 DOI: 10.1088/1758-5090/ac48e6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Cell migration plays an important role in physiological and pathological processes where the fibrillar morphology of extracellular matrices (ECM) could regulate the migration dynamics. To mimic the morphological characteristics of fibrillar matrix structures, low-voltage continuous electrospinning was adapted to construct straight, wavy, looped and gridded fibre patterns made of polystyrene (of fibre diameter ca. 3 μm). Cells were free to explore their different shapes in response to the directly-adhered fibre, as well as to the neighbouring patterns. For all the patterns studied, analysing cellular migration dynamics of MDA-MB-231 (a highly migratory breast cancer cell line) demonstrated two interesting findings: first, although cells dynamically adjust their shapes and migration trajectories in response to different fibrillar environments, their average step speed is minimally affected by the fibre global pattern; secondly, a switch in behaviour was observed when the pattern features approach the upper limit of the cell body's minor axis, reflecting that cells' ability to divert from an existing fibre track is limited by the size along the cell body's minor axis. It is therefore concluded that the upper limit of cell body's minor axis might act as a guide for the design of microfibre patterns for different purposes of cell migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duo Zhang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Yaqi Sheng
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Nicholas Piano
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Theresa Jakuszeit
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Edward Cozens
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Lingqing Dong
- School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, The Affiliated Stomatology Hospital., Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310058, CHINA
| | - Alexander K Buell
- Department of Biotechnology and Biomedicine, Technical University of Denmark, Søltofts Plads, 227, 061 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Lyngby, 2800, DENMARK
| | - Andreas Pollet
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, 5600MB Eindhoven, Eindhoven, Noord-Brabant, 5600 MB, NETHERLANDS
| | - Iek Man Lei
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Wenyu Wang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Eugene Terentjev
- Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, CAMBRIDGE CB3 0HE, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, CB2 1TN, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
| | - Yan Yan Shery Huang
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1TN, UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND
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Abstract
The study aims to investigate the role of viscoelastic interactions between cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) in avascular tumor growth. Computer simulations of glioma multicellular tumor spheroid (MTS) growth are being carried out for various conditions. The calculations are based on a continuous model, which simulates oxygen transport into MTS; transitions between three cell phenotypes, cell transport, conditioned by hydrostatic forces in cell–ECM composite system, cell motility and cell adhesion. Visco-elastic cell aggregation and elastic ECM scaffold represent two compressible constituents of the composite. Cell–ECM interactions form a Transition Layer on the spheroid surface, where mechanical characteristics of tumor undergo rapid transition. This layer facilitates tumor progression to a great extent. The study demonstrates strong effects of ECM stiffness, mechanical deformations of the matrix and cell–cell adhesion on tumor progression. The simulations show in particular that at certain, rather high degrees of matrix stiffness a formation of distant multicellular clusters takes place, while at further increase of ECM stiffness subtumors do not form. The model also illustrates to what extent mere mechanical properties of cell–ECM system may contribute into variations of glioma invasion scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vladimir Kalinin
- R&D Sector, Techno-Modeling Arts Ireland, Unit 8, Cul na Raithe, A91K8KR, Louth, Ireland
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11
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Soubéran A, Tchoghandjian A. Practical Review on Preclinical Human 3D Glioblastoma Models: Advances and Challenges for Clinical Translation. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12092347. [PMID: 32825103 PMCID: PMC7563542 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12092347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Revised: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Fifteen years after the establishment of the Stupp protocol as the standard of care to treat glioblastomas, no major clinical advances have been achieved and increasing patient’s overall survival remains a challenge. Nevertheless, crucial molecular and cellular findings revealed the intra-tumoral and inter-tumoral complexities of these incurable brain tumors, and the essential role played by cells of the microenvironment in the lack of treatment efficacy. Taking this knowledge into account, fulfilling gaps between preclinical models and clinical samples is necessary to improve the successful rate of clinical trials. Since the beginning of the characterization of brain tumors initiated by Bailey and Cushing in the 1920s, several glioblastoma models have been developed and improved. In this review, we focused on the most widely used 3D human glioblastoma models, including spheroids, tumorospheres, organotypic slices, explants, tumoroids and glioblastoma-derived from cerebral organoids. We discuss their history, development and especially their usefulness.
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Belousov A, Titov S, Shved N, Garbuz M, Malykin G, Gulaia V, Kagansky A, Kumeiko V. The Extracellular Matrix and Biocompatible Materials in Glioblastoma Treatment. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2019; 7:341. [PMID: 31803736 PMCID: PMC6877546 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2019.00341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
During cancer genesis, the extracellular matrix (ECM) in the human brain undergoes important transformations, starting to resemble embryonic brain cell milieu with a much denser structure. However, the stiffness of the tumor ECM does not preclude cancer cells from migration. The importance of the ECM role in normal brain tissue as well as in tumor homeostasis has engaged much effort in trials to implement ECM as a target and an instrument in the treatment of brain cancers. This review provides a detailed analysis of both experimental and applied approaches in combined therapy for gliomas in adults. In general, matrix materials for glioma treatment should have properties facilitating the simplest delivery into the body. Hence, to deliver an artificial implant directly into the operation cavity it should be packed into a gel form, while for bloodstream injections matrix needs to be in the form of polymer micelles, nanoparticles, etc. Furthermore, the delivered material should mimic biomechanical properties of the native tissue, support vital functions, and slow down or stop the proliferation of surrounding cells for a prolonged period. The authors propose a two-step approach aimed, on the one hand, at elimination of remaining cancer cells and on the other hand, at restoring normal brain tissue. Thereby, the first bioartificial matrix to be applied should have relatively low elastic modulus should be loaded with anticancer drugs, while the second material with a higher elastic modulus for neurite outgrowth support should contain specific factors stimulating neuroregeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrei Belousov
- School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Sergei Titov
- School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia.,School of Natural Sciences, Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Nikita Shved
- School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia.,A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Mikhail Garbuz
- School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Grigorii Malykin
- School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia.,A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Valeriia Gulaia
- School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Alexander Kagansky
- School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - Vadim Kumeiko
- School of Biomedicine, Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia.,School of Natural Sciences, Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia.,A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology, Far Eastern Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, Russia
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13
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Computer simulations suggest that prostate enlargement due to benign prostatic hyperplasia mechanically impedes prostate cancer growth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:1152-1161. [PMID: 30617074 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1815735116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia are common genitourinary diseases in aging men. Both pathologies may coexist and share numerous similarities, which have suggested several connections or some interplay between them. However, solid evidence confirming their existence is lacking. Recent studies on extensive series of prostatectomy specimens have shown that tumors originating in larger prostates present favorable pathological features. Hence, large prostates may exert a protective effect against prostate cancer. In this work, we propose a mechanical explanation for this phenomenon. The mechanical stress fields that originate as tumors enlarge have been shown to slow down their dynamics. Benign prostatic hyperplasia contributes to these mechanical stress fields, hence further restraining prostate cancer growth. We derived a tissue-scale, patient-specific mechanically coupled mathematical model to qualitatively investigate the mechanical interaction of prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia. This model was calibrated by studying the deformation caused by each disease independently. Our simulations show that a history of benign prostatic hyperplasia creates mechanical stress fields in the prostate that impede prostatic tumor growth and limit its invasiveness. The technology presented herein may assist physicians in the clinical management of benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer by predicting pathological outcomes on a tissue-scale, patient-specific basis.
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14
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The emergence of solid stress as a potent biomechanical marker of tumour progression. Emerg Top Life Sci 2018; 2:739-749. [PMID: 33530664 DOI: 10.1042/etls20180049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2018] [Revised: 11/02/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Cancer is a disease of dysregulated mechanics which alters cell behaviour, compromises tissue structure, and promotes tumour growth and metastasis. In the context of tumour progression, the most widely studied of biomechanical markers is matrix stiffness as tumour tissue is typically stiffer than healthy tissue. However, solid stress has recently been identified as another marker of tumour growth, with findings strongly suggesting that its role in cancer is distinct from that of stiffness. Owing to the relative infancy of the field which draws from diverse disciplines, a comprehensive knowledge of the relationships between solid stress, tumorigenesis, and metastasis is likely to provide new and valuable insights. In this review, we discuss the micro- and macro-scale biomechanical interactions that give rise to solid stresses, and also examine the techniques developed to quantify solid stress within the tumour environment. Moreover, by reviewing the effects of solid stress on tissues, cancer and stromal cells, and signalling pathways, we also detail its mode of action at each level of the cancer cascade.
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15
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Tropomyosin Tpm 2.1 loss induces glioblastoma spreading in soft brain-like environments. J Neurooncol 2018; 141:303-313. [PMID: 30535593 DOI: 10.1007/s11060-018-03049-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The brain is a very soft tissue. Glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumours are highly infiltrative into the surrounding healthy brain tissue and invasion mechanisms that have been defined using rigid substrates therefore may not apply to GBM dissemination. GBMs characteristically lose expression of the high molecular weight tropomyosins, a class of actin-associating proteins and essential regulators of the actin stress fibres and focal adhesions that underpin cell migration on rigid substrates. METHODS Here, we investigated how loss of the high molecular weight tropomyosins affects GBM on soft matrices that recapitulate the biomechanical architecture of the brain. RESULTS We find that Tpm 2.1 is down-regulated in GBM grown on soft substrates. We demonstrate that Tpm 2.1 depletion by siRNA induces cell spreading and elongation in soft 3D hydrogels, irrespective of matrix composition. Tpm 1.7, a second high molecular weight tropomyosin is also down-regulated when cells are cultured on soft brain-like surfaces and we show that effects of this isoform are matrix dependent, with Tpm 1.7 inducing cell rounding in 3D collagen gels. Finally, we show that the absence of Tpm 2.1 from primary patient-derived GBMs correlates with elongated, mesenchymal invasion. CONCLUSIONS We propose that Tpm 2.1 down-regulation facilitates GBM colonisation of the soft brain environment. This specialisation of the GBM actin cytoskeleton organisation that is highly suited to the soft brain-like environment may provide novel therapeutic targets for arresting GBM invasion.
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16
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Bogdan MJ, Savin T. Fingering instabilities in tissue invasion: an active fluid model. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:181579. [PMID: 30662758 PMCID: PMC6304124 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.181579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Metastatic tumours often invade healthy neighbouring tissues by forming multicellular finger-like protrusions emerging from the cancer mass. To understand the mechanical context behind this phenomenon, we here develop a minimalist fluid model of a self-propelled, growing biological tissue. The theory involves only four mechanical parameters and remains analytically trackable in various settings. As an application of the model, we study the evolution of a two-dimensional circular droplet made of our active and expanding fluid, and embedded in a passive non-growing tissue. This system could be used to model the evolution of a carcinoma in an epithelial layer. We find that our description can explain the propensity of tumour tissues to fingering instabilities, as conditioned by the magnitude of active traction and the growth kinetics. We are also able to derive predictions for the tumour size at the onset of metastasis, and for the number of subsequent invasive fingers. Our active fluid model may help describe a wider range of biological processes, including wound healing and developmental patterning.
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17
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Gritsenko PG, Friedl P. Adaptive adhesion systems mediate glioma cell invasion in complex environments. J Cell Sci 2018; 131:jcs216382. [PMID: 29991514 PMCID: PMC6104823 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.216382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2018] [Accepted: 07/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffuse brain invasion by glioma cells prevents effective surgical or molecular-targeted therapy and underlies a detrimental outcome. Migrating glioma cells are guided by complex anatomical brain structures but the exact mechanisms remain poorly defined. To identify adhesion receptor systems and matrix structures supporting glioma cell invasion into brain-like environments we used 2D and 3D organotypic invasion assays in combination with antibody-, peptide- and RNA-based interference. Combined interference with β1 and αV integrins abolished the migration of U-251 and E-98 glioma cells on reconstituted basement membrane; however, invasion into primary brain slices or 3D astrocyte-based scaffolds and migration on astrocyte-deposited matrix was only partly inhibited. Any residual invasion was supported by vascular structures, as well as laminin 511, a central constituent of basement membrane of brain blood vessels. Multi-targeted interference against β1, αV and α6 integrins expressed by U-251 and E-98 cells proved insufficient to achieve complete migration arrest. These data suggest that mechanocoupling by integrins is relatively resistant to antibody- or peptide-based targeting, and cooperates with additional, as yet unidentified adhesion systems in mediating glioma cell invasion in complex brain stroma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavlo G Gritsenko
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Peter Friedl
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud Institute for Molecular Life Sciences, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, 6525 GA Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- David H. Koch Center for Applied Research of Genitourinary Cancers, Department of Genitourinary Medical Oncology, The University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, 77030 Texas, USA
- Cancer Genomics Centre (CGC.nl), 3584 Utrecht, The Netherlands
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18
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Erickson AE, Levengood SKL, Sun J, Chang FC, Zhang M. Fabrication and Characterization of Chitosan-Hyaluronic Acid Scaffolds with Varying Stiffness for Glioblastoma Cell Culture. Adv Healthc Mater 2018; 7:e1800295. [PMID: 29893067 PMCID: PMC6116517 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201800295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Revised: 05/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The invasive and recurrent nature of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is linked to a small subpopulation of cancer cells, which are self-renewing, resistant to standard treatment regimens, and induce formation of new tumors. Matrix stiffness is implicated in the regulation of cell proliferation, drug resistance, and reversion to a more invasive phenotype. Therefore, understanding the relationship between matrix stiffness and tumor cell behavior is vital to develop appropriate in vitro tumor models. Here, chitosan-hyaluronic acid (CHA) polyelectrolyte complex scaffolds are fabricated with statistically significant stiffness variances to characterize the effect of scaffold stiffness on morphology, proliferation, drug resistance, and gene expression in human glioblastoma cells (U-87 MG). All scaffolds support GBM proliferation over a 12-day culture period, yet larger spheroids are observed in scaffolds with higher stiffness. Additionally, GBM cells cultured in stiffer CHA scaffolds prove significantly more resistant to the common chemotherapeutic temozolomide. Moreover, the stiffer 8% CHA scaffolds exhibit an increase in expression of drug resistance and invasion related genes compared to 2D culture. CHA scaffolds present a tunable microenvironment for enhanced tumor cell malignancy and may provide a valuable in vitro microenvironment for studying tumor progression and screening anticancer therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariane E. Erickson
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA,
| | - Sheeny K. Lan Levengood
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA,
| | - Jialu Sun
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA,
| | - Fei-Chien Chang
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA,
| | - Miqin Zhang
- Department of Materials Science & Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA,
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19
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Jeena K, Manju CA, Sajesh KM, Gowd GS, Sivanarayanan TB, Mol C D, Manohar M, Nambiar A, Nair SV, Koyakutty M. Brain-Tumor-Regenerating 3D Scaffold-Based Primary Xenograft Models for Glioma Stem Cell Targeted Drug Screening. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2018; 5:139-148. [PMID: 33405881 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.8b00249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Glioma stem cells (GSC) present a critical therapeutic challenge for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Drug screening against GSC demands development of novel in vitro and in vivo platforms that can mimic brain microenvironment and support GSC maintenance and tumorigenesis. Here, we report, a 3-dimensionel (3D) biomimetic macro-porous scaffold developed by incorporating hyaluronic acid, porcine brain extra cellular matrix (ECM) and growth factors that facilitates regeneration of GBM from primary GSCs, ex vivo and in vivo. After characterizing with human and rat GBM cell lines and neurospheres, human GSCs expressing Notch1, Sox-2, Nestin, and CD133 biomarkers were isolated from GBM patients, cultured in the 3D scaffold, and implanted subcutaneously in nude mice to develop patient derived xenograft (PDX) models. Aggressive growth pattern of PDX with formation of intratumoral vascularization was monitored by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Histopathological and phenotypial features of the original tumors were retained in the PDX models. We used this regenerated GBM platform to screen novel siRNA nanotherapeutics targeting Notch, Sox-2, FAK signaling for its ability to inhibit the tumorigenic potential of GSCs. Current clinical drug, Temozolomide and an anticancer phytochemical, nanocurcumin, were used as controls. The siRNA nanoparticles showed excellent efficacy in inhibiting tumorigenesis by GSCs in vivo. Our study suggests that the brain-ECM mimicking scaffold can regenerate primary gliomas from GSCs in vitro and in vivo, and the same can be used as an effective platform for screening drugs against glioma stem cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kottarapat Jeena
- Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, ‡Central Lab Animal Facility, and §Department of Pathology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Ponekkara, Kochi 682 041, India
| | - Cheripelil Abraham Manju
- Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, Central Lab Animal Facility, and §Department of Pathology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Ponekkara, Kochi 682 041, India
| | - Koythatta Meethalveedu Sajesh
- Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, Central Lab Animal Facility, and Department of Pathology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Ponekkara, Kochi 682 041, India
| | - G Siddaramana Gowd
- Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, Central Lab Animal Facility, and Department of Pathology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Ponekkara, Kochi 682 041, India
| | - Thangalazhi Balakrishnan Sivanarayanan
- Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, Central Lab Animal Facility, and Department of Pathology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Ponekkara, Kochi 682 041, India
| | - Deepthi Mol C
- Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, Central Lab Animal Facility, and Department of Pathology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Ponekkara, Kochi 682 041, India
| | - Maneesh Manohar
- Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, Central Lab Animal Facility, and Department of Pathology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Ponekkara, Kochi 682 041, India
| | - Ajit Nambiar
- Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, Central Lab Animal Facility, and Department of Pathology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Ponekkara, Kochi 682 041, India
| | - Shantikumar V Nair
- Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, Central Lab Animal Facility, and Department of Pathology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Ponekkara, Kochi 682 041, India
| | - Manzoor Koyakutty
- Amrita Centre for Nanosciences and Molecular Medicine, Central Lab Animal Facility, and Department of Pathology, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Ponekkara, Kochi 682 041, India
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20
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The mode and dynamics of glioblastoma cell invasion into a decellularized tissue-derived extracellular matrix-based three-dimensional tumor model. Sci Rep 2018; 8:4608. [PMID: 29545552 PMCID: PMC5854588 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-22681-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common brain tumor with very aggressive and infiltrative. Extracellular matrix (ECM) plays pivotal roles in the infiltrative characteristics of GBM. To understand the invasive characteristic of GBM, it is necessary to study cell-ECM interaction in the physiologically relevant biomimetic model that recapitulates the GBM-specific ECM microenvironment. Here, we propose biomimetic GBM-specific ECM microenvironment for studying mode and dynamics of glioblastoma cell invasion. Using tissue decellularization process, we constructed a patient tissue-derived ECM (pdECM)-based three-dimensional in vitro model. In our model, GBM cells exhibited heterogeneous morphology and altered the invasion routes in a microenvironment-adaptive manner. We further elucidate the effects of inhibition of ECM remodeling-related enzymatic activity (Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2/9, hyaluronan synthase (HAS)) on GBM cell invasion. Interestingly, after blocking both enzyme activity, GBM cells underwent morphological transition and switch the invasion mode. Such adaptability could render cell invasion resistant to anti-cancer target therapy. There results provide insight of how organ-specific matrix differentially regulates cancer cell phenotype, and have significant implications for the design of matrix with appropriate physiologically relevant properties for in vitro tumor model.
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21
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Hormuth DA, Weis JA, Barnes SL, Miga MI, Rericha EC, Quaranta V, Yankeelov TE. A mechanically coupled reaction-diffusion model that incorporates intra-tumoural heterogeneity to predict in vivo glioma growth. J R Soc Interface 2017; 14:rsif.2016.1010. [PMID: 28330985 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2016.1010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
While gliomas have been extensively modelled with a reaction-diffusion (RD) type equation it is most likely an oversimplification. In this study, three mathematical models of glioma growth are developed and systematically investigated to establish a framework for accurate prediction of changes in tumour volume as well as intra-tumoural heterogeneity. Tumour cell movement was described by coupling movement to tissue stress, leading to a mechanically coupled (MC) RD model. Intra-tumour heterogeneity was described by including a voxel-specific carrying capacity (CC) to the RD model. The MC and CC models were also combined in a third model. To evaluate these models, rats (n = 14) with C6 gliomas were imaged with diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging over 10 days to estimate tumour cellularity. Model parameters were estimated from the first three imaging time points and then used to predict tumour growth at the remaining time points which were then directly compared to experimental data. The results in this work demonstrate that mechanical-biological effects are a necessary component of brain tissue tumour modelling efforts. The results are suggestive that a variable tissue carrying capacity is a needed model component to capture tumour heterogeneity. Lastly, the results advocate the need for additional effort towards capturing tumour-to-tissue infiltration.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Hormuth
- Institute for Computational and Engineering Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Jared A Weis
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Stephanie L Barnes
- Institute for Computational and Engineering Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Michael I Miga
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA.,Department of Neurological Surgery, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Erin C Rericha
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Vito Quaranta
- Department of Cancer Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Thomas E Yankeelov
- Institute for Computational and Engineering Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA .,Biomedical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.,Internal Medicine, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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22
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Recapitulating in vivo-like plasticity of glioma cell invasion along blood vessels and in astrocyte-rich stroma. Histochem Cell Biol 2017; 148:395-406. [PMID: 28825130 PMCID: PMC5602046 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-017-1604-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Diffuse invasion of glioma cells into the brain parenchyma leads to nonresectable brain tumors and poor prognosis of glioma disease. In vivo, glioma cells can adopt a range of invasion strategies and routes, by moving as single cells, collective strands and multicellular networks along perivascular, perineuronal and interstitial guidance cues. Current in vitro assays to probe glioma cell invasion, however, are limited in recapitulating the modes and adaptability of glioma invasion observed in brain parenchyma, including collective behaviours. To mimic in vivo-like glioma cell invasion in vitro, we here applied three tissue-inspired 3D environments combining multicellular glioma spheroids and reconstituted microanatomic features of vascular and interstitial brain structures. Radial migration from multicellular glioma spheroids of human cell lines and patient-derived xenograft cells was monitored using (1) reconstituted basement membrane/hyaluronan interfaces representing the space along brain vessels; (2) 3D scaffolds generated by multi-layered mouse astrocytes to reflect brain interstitium; and (3) freshly isolated mouse brain slice culture ex vivo. The invasion patterns in vitro were validated using histological analysis of brain sections from glioblastoma patients and glioma xenografts infiltrating the mouse brain. Each 3D assay recapitulated distinct aspects of major glioma invasion patterns identified in mouse xenografts and patient brain samples, including individually migrating cells, collective strands extending along blood vessels, and multicellular networks of interconnected glioma cells infiltrating the neuropil. In conjunction, these organotypic assays enable a range of invasion modes used by glioma cells and will be applicable for mechanistic analysis and targeting of glioma cell dissemination.
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23
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Sivakumar H, Strowd R, Skardal A. Exploration of Dynamic Elastic Modulus Changes on Glioblastoma Cell Populations with Aberrant EGFR Expression as a Potential Therapeutic Intervention Using a Tunable Hyaluronic Acid Hydrogel Platform. Gels 2017; 3:gels3030028. [PMID: 30920523 PMCID: PMC6318698 DOI: 10.3390/gels3030028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2017] [Revised: 06/21/2017] [Accepted: 07/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is one of most aggressive forms of brain cancer, with a median survival time of 14.6 months following diagnosis. This low survival rate could in part be attributed to the lack of model systems of this type of cancer that faithfully recapitulate the tumor architecture and microenvironment seen in vivo in humans. Therapeutic studies would provide results that could be translated to the clinic efficiently. Here, we assess the role of the tumor microenvironment physical parameters on the tumor, and its potential use as a biomarker using a hyaluronic acid hydrogel system capable of elastic modulus tuning and dynamic elastic moduli changes. Experiments were conducted to assess the sensitivity of glioblastoma cell populations with different mutations to varying elastic moduli. Cells with aberrant epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression have a predilection for a stiffer environment, sensing these parameters through focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Importantly, the inhibition of FAK or EGFR generally resulted in reversed elastic modulus preference. Lastly, we explore the concept of therapeutically targeting the elastic modulus and dynamically reducing it via chemical or enzymatic degradation, both showing the capability to reduce or stunt proliferation rates of these GBM populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hemamylammal Sivakumar
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
| | - Roy Strowd
- Department of Neurology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
- Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake Forest Baptist, Wake Forest Baptist Health Sciences, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
| | - Aleksander Skardal
- Wake Forest Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
- Virginia Tech-Wake Forest School of Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
- Department of Cancer Biology, Wake Forest School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
- Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake Forest Baptist, Wake Forest Baptist Health Sciences, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA.
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24
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Hui TH, Tang YH, Yan Z, Yip TC, Fong HW, Cho WC, Ngan KC, Shum HC, Lin Y. Cadherin- and Rigidity-Dependent Growth of Lung Cancer Cells in a Partially Confined Microenvironment. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2017; 4:446-455. [PMID: 33418735 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.7b00130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
During tumor development, cancer cells constantly confront different types of extracellular barriers. However, fundamental questions like whether tumor cells will continue to grow against confinement or away from it and what key factors govern this process remain poorly understood. To address these issues, here we examined the growth dynamics of human lung epithelial carcinoma A549 cells partially confined in micrometer-sized cylindrical pores with precisely controlled wall stiffness. It was found that, after reaching confluency, the cell monolayer enclosed by a compliant wall was able to keep growing and pushing the boundary, eventually leading to a markedly enlarged pore. In contrast, a much reduced in-plane growth and elevated strain level among cells were observed when the confining wall becomes stiff. Furthermore, under such circumstance, cells switched their growth from within the monolayer to along the out-of-plane direction, resulting in cell stacking. We showed that these observations can be well explained by a simple model taking into account the deformability of the wall and the threshold stress for inhibiting cell growth. Interestingly, cadherins were found to play an important role in the proliferation and stress buildup within the cell monolayer by aggregating at cell-cell junctions. The stiff confinement led to an elevated expression level of cadherins. Furthermore, inhibition of N-cadherin resulted in a significantly suppressed cell growth under the same confining conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- T H Hui
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China.,HKU-Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation (HKU-SIRI), Kejizhong second Rd., Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Y H Tang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Z Yan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China.,HKU-Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation (HKU-SIRI), Kejizhong second Rd., Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - T C Yip
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 30 Gascoigne Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - H W Fong
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 30 Gascoigne Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - W C Cho
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 30 Gascoigne Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - K C Ngan
- Department of Clinical Oncology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, 30 Gascoigne Road, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - H C Shum
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China.,HKU-Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation (HKU-SIRI), Kejizhong second Rd., Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Y Lin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong SAR, China.,HKU-Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation (HKU-SIRI), Kejizhong second Rd., Hi-Tech Industrial Park, Nanshan District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
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25
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Evje S. An integrative multiphase model for cancer cell migration under influence of physical cues from the microenvironment. Chem Eng Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2017.02.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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26
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Dynamics of cancerous tissue correlates with invasiveness. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43800. [PMID: 28262796 PMCID: PMC5338316 DOI: 10.1038/srep43800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2016] [Accepted: 01/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Two of the classical hallmarks of cancer are uncontrolled cell division and tissue invasion, which turn the disease into a systemic, life-threatening condition. Although both processes are studied, a clear correlation between cell division and motility of cancer cells has not been described previously. Here, we experimentally characterize the dynamics of invasive and non-invasive breast cancer tissues using human and murine model systems. The intrinsic tissue velocities, as well as the divergence and vorticity around a dividing cell correlate strongly with the invasive potential of the tissue, thus showing a distinct correlation between tissue dynamics and aggressiveness. We formulate a model which treats the tissue as a visco-elastic continuum. This model provides a valid reproduction of the cancerous tissue dynamics, thus, biological signaling is not needed to explain the observed tissue dynamics. The model returns the characteristic force exerted by an invading cell and reveals a strong correlation between force and invasiveness of breast cancer cells, thus pinpointing the importance of mechanics for cancer invasion.
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27
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Mulligan JA, Bordeleau F, Reinhart-King CA, Adie SG. Measurement of dynamic cell-induced 3D displacement fields in vitro for traction force optical coherence microscopy. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2017; 8:1152-1171. [PMID: 28271010 PMCID: PMC5330596 DOI: 10.1364/boe.8.001152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Revised: 01/18/2017] [Accepted: 01/19/2017] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Traction force microscopy (TFM) is a method used to study the forces exerted by cells as they sense and interact with their environment. Cell forces play a role in processes that take place over a wide range of spatiotemporal scales, and so it is desirable that TFM makes use of imaging modalities that can effectively capture the dynamics associated with these processes. To date, confocal microscopy has been the imaging modality of choice to perform TFM in 3D settings, although multiple factors limit its spatiotemporal coverage. We propose traction force optical coherence microscopy (TF-OCM) as a novel technique that may offer enhanced spatial coverage and temporal sampling compared to current methods used for volumetric TFM studies. Reconstructed volumetric OCM data sets were used to compute time-lapse extracellular matrix deformations resulting from cell forces in 3D culture. These matrix deformations revealed clear differences that can be attributed to the dynamic forces exerted by normal versus contractility-inhibited NIH-3T3 fibroblasts embedded within 3D Matrigel matrices. Our results are the first step toward the realization of 3D TF-OCM, and they highlight the potential use of OCM as a platform for advancing cell mechanics research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey A. Mulligan
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - François Bordeleau
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Cynthia A. Reinhart-King
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Steven G. Adie
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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28
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Kopanska KS, Alcheikh Y, Staneva R, Vignjevic D, Betz T. Tensile Forces Originating from Cancer Spheroids Facilitate Tumor Invasion. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0156442. [PMID: 27271249 PMCID: PMC4896628 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0156442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The mechanical properties of tumors and the tumor environment provide important information for the progression and characterization of cancer. Tumors are surrounded by an extracellular matrix (ECM) dominated by collagen I. The geometrical and mechanical properties of the ECM play an important role for the initial step in the formation of metastasis, presented by the migration of malignant cells towards new settlements as well as the vascular and lymphatic system. The extent of this cell invasion into the ECM is a key medical marker for cancer prognosis. In vivo studies reveal an increased stiffness and different architecture of tumor tissue when compared to its healthy counterparts. The observed parallel collagen organization on the tumor border and radial arrangement at the invasion zone has raised the question about the mechanisms organizing these structures. Here we study the effect of contractile forces originated from model tumor spheroids embedded in a biomimetic collagen I matrix. We show that contractile forces act immediately after seeding and deform the ECM, thus leading to tensile radial forces within the matrix. Relaxation of this tension via cutting the collagen does reduce invasion, showing a mechanical relation between the tensile state of the ECM and invasion. In turn, these results suggest that tensile forces in the ECM facilitate invasion. Furthermore, simultaneous contraction of the ECM and tumor growth leads to the condensation and reorientation of the collagen at the spheroid’s surface. We propose a tension-based model to explain the collagen organization and the onset of invasion by forces originating from the tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna S. Kopanska
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, UMR 168, F-75005, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, UMR 168, F-75005, Paris, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR168, 25 rue d'Ulm, 75248 Paris cedex 05, France
- Zurich University of Applied Sciences, Institute of Chemistry and Biotechnology, Einsiedlerstrasse 31, 8820 Wädenswil, Switzerland
| | - Yara Alcheikh
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, UMR 168, F-75005, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, UMR 168, F-75005, Paris, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR168, 25 rue d'Ulm, 75248 Paris cedex 05, France
| | - Ralitza Staneva
- Institute Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, UMR 144, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Danijela Vignjevic
- Institute Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, UMR 144, F-75005, Paris, France
| | - Timo Betz
- Institut Curie, PSL Research University, CNRS, UMR 168, F-75005, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, CNRS, UMR 168, F-75005, Paris, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR168, 25 rue d'Ulm, 75248 Paris cedex 05, France
- Institute for Cell Biology, Center for Molecular Biology of Inflammation, Münster University, Münster, Germany
- * E-mail:
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29
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Jurchenko C, Salaita KS. Lighting Up the Force: Investigating Mechanisms of Mechanotransduction Using Fluorescent Tension Probes. Mol Cell Biol 2015; 35:2570-82. [PMID: 26031334 PMCID: PMC4524122 DOI: 10.1128/mcb.00195-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of cells to sense the physical nature of their surroundings is critical to the survival of multicellular organisms. Cellular response to physical cues from adjacent cells and the extracellular matrix leads to a dynamic cycle in which cells respond by remodeling their local microenvironment, fine-tuning cell stiffness, polarity, and shape. Mechanical regulation is important in cellular development, normal morphogenesis, and wound healing. The mechanisms by which these finely balanced mechanotransduction events occur, however, are not well understood. In large part, this is due to the limited availability of tools to study molecular mechanotransduction events in live cells. Several classes of molecular tension probes have been recently developed which are rapidly transforming the study of mechanotransduction. Molecular tension probes are primarily based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) and report on piconewton scale tension events in live cells. In this minireview, we describe the two main classes of tension probes, genetically encoded tension sensors and immobilized tension sensors, and discuss the advantages and limitations of each type. We discuss future opportunities to address major biological questions and outline the challenges facing the next generation of molecular tension probes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carol Jurchenko
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Khalid S Salaita
- Department of Chemistry, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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30
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Abstract
The first step in the spread of cancer is invasion by malignant cells of the normal tissue surrounding a tumor. There is considerable evidence both in vitro and in vivo that mechanical interactions with the tissue, in particular with the biopolymer network that makes up the extracellular matrix (ECM), are important factors in invasion. The interactions take two forms: (i) contractile cells on the surface of the tumor act on the nearby ECM and remodel it; in some cases, they align the fibers of the biopolymers; (ii) the aligned fibers can enhance invasion via contact guidance, the tendency of motile cells to follow alignment. Here, we give evidence, mainly for in vitro systems, that both effects are important. We discuss how alignment occurs in biopolymers such as collagen-I (a major component of the ECM). We propose a modeling framework for computing alignment and propose phenomenologic models for contact guidance. See all articles in this Cancer Research section, "Physics in Cancer Research."
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard M Sander
- Physics and Complex Systems, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor Michigan
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31
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Zhou J, Pal S, Maiti S, Davidson LA. Force production and mechanical accommodation during convergent extension. Development 2015; 142:692-701. [PMID: 25670794 PMCID: PMC4325376 DOI: 10.1242/dev.116533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2014] [Accepted: 12/19/2014] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Forces generated within the embryo during convergent extension (CE) must overcome mechanical resistance to push the head away from the rear. As mechanical resistance increases more than eightfold during CE and can vary twofold from individual to individual, we have proposed that developmental programs must include mechanical accommodation in order to maintain robust morphogenesis. To test this idea and investigate the processes that generate forces within early embryos, we developed a novel gel-based sensor to report force production as a tissue changes shape; we find that the mean stress produced by CE is 5.0±1.6 Pascal (Pa). Experiments with the gel-based force sensor resulted in three findings. (1) Force production and mechanical resistance can be coupled through myosin contractility. The coupling of these processes can be hidden unless affected tissues are challenged by physical constraints. (2) CE is mechanically adaptive; dorsal tissues can increase force production up to threefold to overcome a stiffer microenvironment. These findings demonstrate that mechanical accommodation can ensure robust morphogenetic movements against environmental and genetic variation that might otherwise perturb development and growth. (3) Force production is distributed between neural and mesodermal tissues in the dorsal isolate, and the notochord, a central structure involved in patterning vertebrate morphogenesis, is not required for force production during late gastrulation and early neurulation. Our findings suggest that genetic factors that coordinately alter force production and mechanical resistance are common during morphogenesis, and that their cryptic roles can be revealed when tissues are challenged by controlled biophysical constraints.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jian Zhou
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Siladitya Pal
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Spandan Maiti
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Lance A Davidson
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA Department of Developmental Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA Department of Computational and Systems Biology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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32
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Abstract
Many different cell types including fibroblasts, smooth muscle cells, endothelial cells, and cancer cells exert traction forces on the fibrous components of the extracellular matrix. This can be observed as matrix contraction both macro- and microscopically in three-dimensional (3D) tissues models such as collagen type I gels. The quantification of local contraction at the micron scale, including its directionality and speed, in correlation with other parameters such as cell invasion, local protein or gene expression, can provide useful information to study wound healing, organism development, and cancer metastasis. In this article, we present a set of tools to quantify the flow dynamics of collagen contraction, induced by cells migrating out of a multicellular cancer spheroid into a three-dimensional (3D) collagen matrix. We adapted a pseudo-speckle technique that can be applied to bright-field and fluorescent microscopy time series. The image analysis presented here is based on an in-house written software developed in the Matlab (Mathworks) programming environment. The analysis program is freely available from GitHub following the link: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10116. This tool provides an automatized technique to measure collagen contraction that can be utilized in different 3D cellular systems.
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33
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Rape A, Ananthanarayanan B, Kumar S. Engineering strategies to mimic the glioblastoma microenvironment. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2014; 79-80:172-83. [PMID: 25174308 PMCID: PMC4258440 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2014.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2013] [Revised: 04/23/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and deadly brain tumor, with a mean survival time of only 21months. Despite the dramatic improvements in our understanding of GBM fueled by recent revolutions in molecular and systems biology, treatment advances for GBM have progressed inadequately slowly, which is due in part to the wide cellular and molecular heterogeneity both across tumors and within a single tumor. Thus, there is increasing clinical interest in targeting cell-extrinsic factors as way of slowing or halting the progression of GBM. These cell-extrinsic factors, collectively termed the microenvironment, include the extracellular matrix, blood vessels, stromal cells that surround tumor cells, and all associated soluble and scaffold-bound signals. In this review, we will first describe the regulation of GBM tumors by these microenvironmental factors. Next, we will discuss the various in vitro approaches that have been exploited to recapitulate and model the GBM tumor microenvironment in vitro. We conclude by identifying future challenges and opportunities in this field, including the development of microenvironmental platforms amenable to high-throughput discovery and screening. We anticipate that these ongoing efforts will prove to be valuable both as enabling tools for accelerating our understanding of microenvironmental regulation in GBM and as foundations for next-generation molecular screening platforms that may serve as a conceptual bridge between traditional reductionist systems and animal or clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Rape
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Sanjay Kumar
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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34
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Jones DP, Hanna W, El-Hamidi H, Celli JP. Longitudinal measurement of extracellular matrix rigidity in 3D tumor models using particle-tracking microrheology. J Vis Exp 2014. [PMID: 24961668 DOI: 10.3791/51302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanical microenvironment has been shown to act as a crucial regulator of tumor growth behavior and signaling, which is itself remodeled and modified as part of a set of complex, two-way mechanosensitive interactions. While the development of biologically-relevant 3D tumor models have facilitated mechanistic studies on the impact of matrix rheology on tumor growth, the inverse problem of mapping changes in the mechanical environment induced by tumors remains challenging. Here, we describe the implementation of particle-tracking microrheology (PTM) in conjunction with 3D models of pancreatic cancer as part of a robust and viable approach for longitudinally monitoring physical changes in the tumor microenvironment, in situ. The methodology described here integrates a system of preparing in vitro 3D models embedded in a model extracellular matrix (ECM) scaffold of Type I collagen with fluorescently labeled probes uniformly distributed for position- and time-dependent microrheology measurements throughout the specimen. In vitro tumors are plated and probed in parallel conditions using multiwell imaging plates. Drawing on established methods, videos of tracer probe movements are transformed via the Generalized Stokes Einstein Relation (GSER) to report the complex frequency-dependent viscoelastic shear modulus, G*(ω). Because this approach is imaging-based, mechanical characterization is also mapped onto large transmitted-light spatial fields to simultaneously report qualitative changes in 3D tumor size and phenotype. Representative results showing contrasting mechanical response in sub-regions associated with localized invasion-induced matrix degradation as well as system calibration, validation data are presented. Undesirable outcomes from common experimental errors and troubleshooting of these issues are also presented. The 96-well 3D culture plating format implemented in this protocol is conducive to correlation of microrheology measurements with therapeutic screening assays or molecular imaging to gain new insights into impact of treatments or biochemical stimuli on the mechanical microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin P Jones
- Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts Boston
| | - William Hanna
- Department of Physics, University of Massachusetts Boston
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35
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Sander LM. Alignment localization in nonlinear biological media. J Biomech Eng 2014; 135:71006. [PMID: 23719979 DOI: 10.1115/1.4024199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2012] [Accepted: 04/13/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Cells imbedded in biopolymer gels are important components of tissue engineering models and cancer tumor microenvironments. In both these cases, contraction of cells attached to the gel is an important phenomenon, and the nonlinear nature of most biopolymers (such as collagen) makes understanding the mechanics of the contraction a challenging problem. Here, we investigate a unique feature of such systems: a point source of contraction leads to substantial deformation of the environment, but large strains and large alignment of the fibers of the gel are confined to a small region surrounding the source. For fibroblasts in collagen-I, we estimate that the radius of this region is of order 90 μ. We investigate this idea using continuum estimates and a finite element code, and we point out experimental manifestations of the effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonard M Sander
- Randall Laboratory, Department of Physics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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36
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Rao SS, Lannutti JJ, Viapiano MS, Sarkar A, Winter JO. Toward 3D biomimetic models to understand the behavior of glioblastoma multiforme cells. TISSUE ENGINEERING PART B-REVIEWS 2013; 20:314-27. [PMID: 24044776 DOI: 10.1089/ten.teb.2013.0227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tumors are one of the most deadly forms of human cancer and despite improved treatments, median survival time for the majority of patients is a dismal 12-15 months. A hallmark of these aggressive tumors is their unique ability to diffusively infiltrate normal brain tissue. To understand this behavior and successfully target the mechanisms underlying tumor progression, it is crucial to develop robust experimental ex vivo disease models. This review discusses current two-dimensional (2D) experimental models, as well as animal-based models used to examine GBM cell migration, including their advantages and disadvantages. Recent attempts to develop three-dimensional (3D) tissue engineering-inspired models and their utility in unraveling the role of microenvironment on tumor cell behaviors are also highlighted. Further, the use of 3D models to bridge the gap between 2D and animal models is explored. Finally, the broad utility of such models in the context of brain cancer research is examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreyas S Rao
- 1 William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University , Columbus, Ohio
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37
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Rao SS, DeJesus J, Short AR, Otero JJ, Sarkar A, Winter JO. Glioblastoma behaviors in three-dimensional collagen-hyaluronan composite hydrogels. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2013; 5:9276-84. [PMID: 24010546 PMCID: PMC4333346 DOI: 10.1021/am402097j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tumors, which arise from glia in the central nervous system (CNS), are one of the most deadly forms of human cancer with a median survival time of ∼1 year. Their high infiltrative capacity makes them extremely difficult to treat, and even with aggressive multimodal clinical therapies, outcomes are dismal. To improve understanding of cell migration in these tumors, three-dimensional (3D) multicomponent composite hydrogels consisting of collagen and hyaluronic acid, or hyaluronan (HA), were developed. Collagen is a component of blood vessels known to be associated with GBM migration; whereas, HA is one of the major components of the native brain extracellular matrix (ECM). We characterized hydrogel microstructural features and utilized these materials to investigate patient tumor-derived, single cell morphology, spreading, and migration in 3D culture. GBM morphology was influenced by collagen type with cells adopting a rounded morphology in collagen-IV versus a spindle-shaped morphology in collagen-I/III. GBM spreading and migration were inversely dependent on HA concentration; with higher concentrations promoting little or no migration. Further, noncancerous astrocytes primarily displayed rounded morphologies at lower concentrations of HA; in contrast to the spindle-shaped (spread) morphologies of GBMs. These results suggest that GBM behaviors are sensitive to ECM mimetic materials in 3D and that these composite hydrogels could be used to develop 3D brain mimetic models for studying migration processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shreyas S. Rao
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States
| | - Jessica DeJesus
- Department of Neurological Surgery, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States
| | - Aaron R. Short
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States
| | - Jose J. Otero
- Department of Pathology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States
| | - Atom Sarkar
- Department of Neurosurgery and Laboratory for Nanomedicine, Geisinger Health System, Danville, Pennsylvania 17822, United States
| | - Jessica O. Winter
- William G. Lowrie Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, 43210, United States
- Corresponding Author Phone: 614-247-7668.
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38
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Jackson C, Ruzevick J, Brem H, Lim M. Vaccine strategies for glioblastoma: progress and future directions. Immunotherapy 2013; 5:155-67. [PMID: 23413907 DOI: 10.2217/imt.12.155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in glioblastoma therapy have led to optimism that more effective therapies will improve outcomes. Immunotherapy is a promising approach that has demonstrated the potential to eradicate cancer cells with cellular-level accuracy while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. Several vaccination strategies have been evaluated for activity against glioblastoma in clinical trials. These include peptide vaccines, polyvalent dendritic cell vaccines, heat shock protein vaccines and adoptive immunotherapy. In this review, we highlight clinical trials representative of each of these approaches and discuss strategies for integrating these therapies into routine patient care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Jackson
- The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Department of Neurosurgery, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA
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39
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Jiao Y, Torquato S. Evolution and morphology of microenvironment-enhanced malignancy of three-dimensional invasive solid tumors. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2013; 87:052707. [PMID: 23767566 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.87.052707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2012] [Revised: 03/13/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
The emergence of invasive and metastatic behavior in malignant tumors can often lead to fatal outcomes for patients. The collective malignant tumor behavior resulting from the complex tumor-host interactions and the interactions between the tumor cells is currently poorly understood. In this paper, we employ a cellular automaton (CA) model to investigate microenvironment-enhanced malignant behaviors and morphologies of in vitro avascular invasive solid tumors in three dimensions. Our CA model incorporates a variety of microscopic-scale tumor-host interactions, including the degradation of the extracellular matrix by the malignant cells, nutrient-driven cell migration, pressure buildup due to the deformation of the microenvironment by the growing tumor, and its effect on the local tumor-host interface stability. Moreover, the effects of cell-cell adhesion on tumor growth are explicitly taken into account. Specifically, we find that while strong cell-cell adhesion can suppress the invasive behavior of the tumors growing in soft microenvironments, cancer malignancy can be significantly enhanced by harsh microenvironmental conditions, such as exposure to high pressure levels. We infer from the simulation results a qualitative phase diagram that characterizes the expected malignant behavior of invasive solid tumors in terms of two competing malignancy effects: the rigidity of the microenvironment and cell-cell adhesion. This diagram exhibits phase transitions between noninvasive and invasive behaviors. We also discuss the implications of our results for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of malignant tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Jiao
- Physical Science in Oncology Center, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544, USA.
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40
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Mimicking white matter tract topography using core-shell electrospun nanofibers to examine migration of malignant brain tumors. Biomaterials 2013; 34:5181-90. [PMID: 23601662 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.03.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2013] [Accepted: 03/23/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), one of the deadliest forms of human cancer, is characterized by its high infiltration capacity, partially regulated by the neural extracellular matrix (ECM). A major limitation in developing effective treatments is the lack of in vitro models that mimic features of GBM migration highways. Ideally, these models would permit tunable control of mechanics and chemistry to allow the unique role of each of these components to be examined. To address this need, we developed aligned nanofiber biomaterials via core-shell electrospinning that permit systematic study of mechanical and chemical influences on cell adhesion and migration. These models mimic the topography of white matter tracts, a major GBM migration 'highway'. To independently investigate the influence of chemistry and mechanics on GBM behaviors, nanofiber mechanics were modulated by using different polymers (i.e., gelatin, poly(ethersulfone), poly(dimethylsiloxane)) in the 'core' while employing a common poly(ε-caprolactone) (PCL) 'shell' to conserve surface chemistry. These materials revealed GBM sensitivity to nanofiber mechanics, with single cell morphology (Feret diameter), migration speed, focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and myosin light chain 2 (MLC2) expression all showing a strong dependence on nanofiber modulus. Similarly, modulating nanofiber chemistry using extracellular matrix molecules (i.e., hyaluronic acid (HA), collagen, and Matrigel) in the 'shell' material with a common PCL 'core' to conserve mechanical properties revealed GBM sensitivity to HA; specifically, a negative effect on migration. This system, which mimics the topographical features of white matter tracts, should allow further examination of the complex interplay of mechanics, chemistry, and topography in regulating brain tumor behaviors.
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41
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Carey SP, Starchenko A, McGregor AL, Reinhart-King CA. Leading malignant cells initiate collective epithelial cell invasion in a three-dimensional heterotypic tumor spheroid model. Clin Exp Metastasis 2013; 30:615-30. [PMID: 23328900 DOI: 10.1007/s10585-013-9565-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2012] [Accepted: 01/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Solid tumors consist of genetically and phenotypically diverse subpopulations of cancer cells with unique capacities for growth, differentiation, and invasion. While the molecular and microenvironmental bases for heterogeneity are increasingly appreciated, the outcomes of such intratumor heterogeneity, particularly in the context of tumor invasion and metastasis, remain poorly understood. To study heterotypic cell-cell interactions and elucidate the biological consequences of intratumor heterogeneity, we developed a tissue-engineered multicellular spheroid (MCS) co-culture model that recapitulates the cellular diversity and fully three-dimensional cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions that characterize human carcinomas. We found that "invasion-competent" malignant cells induced the collective invasion of otherwise "invasion-incompetent" epithelial cells, and that these two cell types consistently exhibited distinct leader and follower roles during invasion. Analysis of extracellular matrix (ECM) microarchitecture revealed that malignant cell invasion was accompanied by extensive ECM remodeling including matrix alignment and proteolytic track-making. Inhibition of cell contractility- and proteolysis-mediated matrix reorganization prevented leader-follower behavior and malignant cell-induced epithelial cell invasion. These results indicate that heterogeneous subpopulations within a tumor may possess specialized roles during tumor progression and suggest that complex interactions among the various subpopulations of cancer cells within a tumor may regulate critical aspects of tumor biology and affect clinical outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn P Carey
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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Gjorevski N, Nelson CM. Mapping of mechanical strains and stresses around quiescent engineered three-dimensional epithelial tissues. Biophys J 2012; 103:152-62. [PMID: 22828342 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2012.05.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2011] [Revised: 05/24/2012] [Accepted: 05/29/2012] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding how physical signals guide biological processes requires qualitative and quantitative knowledge of the mechanical forces generated and sensed by cells in a physiologically realistic three-dimensional (3D) context. Here, we used computational modeling and engineered epithelial tissues of precise geometry to define the experimental parameters that are required to measure directly the mechanical stress profile of 3D tissues embedded within native type I collagen. We found that to calculate the stresses accurately in these settings, we had to account for mechanical heterogeneities within the matrix, which we visualized and quantified using confocal reflectance and atomic force microscopy. Using this technique, we were able to obtain traction forces at the epithelium-matrix interface, and to resolve and quantify patterns of mechanical stress throughout the surrounding matrix. We discovered that whereas single cells generate tension by contracting and pulling on the matrix, the contraction of multicellular tissues can also push against the matrix, causing emergent compression. Furthermore, tissue geometry defines the spatial distribution of mechanical stress across the epithelium, which communicates mechanically over distances spanning hundreds of micrometers. Spatially resolved mechanical maps can provide insight into the types and magnitudes of physical parameters that are sensed and interpreted by multicellular tissues during normal and pathological processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolce Gjorevski
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
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Tuning liver stiffness against tumours: An in vitro study using entrapped cells in tumour-like microcapsules. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2012; 9:113-21. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2012.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2011] [Revised: 01/15/2012] [Accepted: 01/19/2012] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
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Jiao Y, Torquato S. Diversity of dynamics and morphologies of invasive solid tumors. AIP ADVANCES 2012; 2:11003. [PMID: 22489275 PMCID: PMC3321516 DOI: 10.1063/1.3697959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2011] [Accepted: 12/23/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Complex tumor-host interactions can significantly affect the growth dynamics and morphologies of progressing neoplasms. The growth of a confined solid tumor induces mechanical pressure and deformation of the surrounding microenvironment, which in turn influences tumor growth. In this paper, we generalize a recently developed cellular automaton model for invasive tumor growth in heterogeneous microenvironments [Y. Jiao and S. Torquato, PLoS Comput. Biol.7, e1002314 (2011)] by incorporating the effects of pressure. Specifically, we explicitly model the pressure exerted on the growing tumor due to the deformation of the microenvironment and its effect on the local tumor-host interface instability. Both noninvasive-proliferative growth and invasive growth with individual cells that detach themselves from the primary tumor and migrate into the surrounding microenvironment are investigated. We find that while noninvasive tumors growing in "soft" homogeneous microenvironments develop almost isotropic shapes, both high pressure and host heterogeneity can strongly enhance malignant behavior, leading to finger-like protrusions of the tumor surface. Moreover, we show that individual invasive cells of an invasive tumor degrade the local extracellular matrix at the tumor-host interface, which diminishes the fingering growth of the primary tumor. The implications of our results for cancer diagnosis, prognosis and therapy are discussed.
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Jiao Y, Torquato S. Emergent behaviors from a cellular automaton model for invasive tumor growth in heterogeneous microenvironments. PLoS Comput Biol 2011; 7:e1002314. [PMID: 22215996 PMCID: PMC3245298 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1002314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2011] [Accepted: 11/02/2011] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding tumor invasion and metastasis is of crucial importance for both fundamental cancer research and clinical practice. In vitro experiments have established that the invasive growth of malignant tumors is characterized by the dendritic invasive branches composed of chains of tumor cells emanating from the primary tumor mass. The preponderance of previous tumor simulations focused on non-invasive (or proliferative) growth. The formation of the invasive cell chains and their interactions with the primary tumor mass and host microenvironment are not well understood. Here, we present a novel cellular automaton (CA) model that enables one to efficiently simulate invasive tumor growth in a heterogeneous host microenvironment. By taking into account a variety of microscopic-scale tumor-host interactions, including the short-range mechanical interactions between tumor cells and tumor stroma, degradation of the extracellular matrix by the invasive cells and oxygen/nutrient gradient driven cell motions, our CA model predicts a rich spectrum of growth dynamics and emergent behaviors of invasive tumors. Besides robustly reproducing the salient features of dendritic invasive growth, such as least-resistance paths of cells and intrabranch homotype attraction, we also predict nontrivial coupling between the growth dynamics of the primary tumor mass and the invasive cells. In addition, we show that the properties of the host microenvironment can significantly affect tumor morphology and growth dynamics, emphasizing the importance of understanding the tumor-host interaction. The capability of our CA model suggests that sophisticated in silico tools could eventually be utilized in clinical situations to predict neoplastic progression and propose individualized optimal treatment strategies. The goal of the present work is to develop an efficient single-cell based cellular automaton (CA) model that enables one to investigate the growth dynamics and morphology of invasive solid tumors. Recent experiments have shown that highly malignant tumors develop dendritic branches composed of tumor cells that follow each other, which massively invade into the host microenvironment and ultimately lead to cancer metastasis. Previous theoretical/computational cancer modeling neither addressed the question of how such chain-like invasive branches form nor how they interact with the host microenvironment and the primary tumor. Our CA model, which incorporates a variety of microscopic-scale tumor-host interactions (e.g., the mechanical interactions between tumor cells and tumor stroma, degradation of the extracellular matrix by the tumor cells and oxygen/nutrient gradient driven cell motions), can robustly reproduce experimentally observed invasive tumor evolution and predict a wide spectrum of invasive tumor growth dynamics and emergent behaviors in various different heterogeneous environments. Further refinement of our CA model could eventually lead to the development of a powerful simulation tool for clinical purposes capable of predicting neoplastic progression and suggesting individualized optimal treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Jiao
- Physical Science in Oncology Center, Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Salvatore Torquato
- Physical Science in Oncology Center, Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Princeton Center for Theoretical Science, Program in Applied and Computational Mathematics, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Quantitative microscopy and imaging tools for the mechanical analysis of morphogenesis. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2011; 21:664-70. [PMID: 21893407 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2011.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2011] [Revised: 08/10/2011] [Accepted: 08/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The importance of mechanical signals during embryogenesis and development, through both intercellular and extracellular signals, is coming into focus. It is widely hypothesized that physical forces help to guide the shape, cellular differentiation and the patterning of tissues. To test these ideas many classical engineering principles and imaging technologies are being adapted. Recent advances in microscopy, mechanical testing and genetic and pharmacological techniques, alongside computational models are helping to dissect the activity of mechanical signals in development at the cellular and molecular level. These inroads are providing maps of mechanical changes in tissue structure and stiffness, and will permit deeper insights into the role of mechanics in both developmental biology and disease.
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Yang YL, Sun C, Wilhelm ME, Fox LJ, Zhu J, Kaufman LJ. Influence of chondroitin sulfate and hyaluronic acid on structure, mechanical properties, and glioma invasion of collagen I gels. Biomaterials 2011; 32:7932-40. [PMID: 21820735 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2011.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2011] [Accepted: 07/06/2011] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
To mimic the extracellular matrix surrounding high grade gliomas, composite matrices composed of either acid-solubilized (AS) or pepsin-treated (PT) collagen and the glycosaminoglycans chondroitin sulfate (CS) and hyaluronic acid (HA) are prepared and characterized. The structure and mechanical properties of collagen/CS and collagen/HA gels are studied via confocal reflectance microscopy (CRM) and rheology. CRM reveals that CS induces fibril bundling and increased mesh size in AS collagen but not PT collagen networks. The presence of CS also induces more substantial changes in the storage and loss moduli of AS gels than of PT gels, in accordance with expectation based on network structural parameters. The presence of HA significantly reduces mesh size in AS collagen but has a smaller effect on PT collagen networks. However, both AS and PT collagen network viscoelasticity is strongly affected by the presence of HA. The effects of CS and HA on glioma invasion is then studied in collagen/GAG matrices with network structure both similar to (PT collagen-based gels) and disparate from (AS collagen-based gels) those of the corresponding pure collagen matrices. It is shown that CS inhibits and HA has no significant effect on glioma invasion in 1.0 mg/ml collagen matrices over 3 days. The inhibitory effect of CS on glioma invasion is more apparent in AS than in PT collagen gels, suggesting invasive behavior in these environments is affected by both biochemical and network morphological changes induced by GAGs. This study is among the few efforts to differentiate structural, mechanical and biochemical effects of changes to matrix composition on cell motility in 3D.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ya-li Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
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Ambrosi D, Ateshian GA, Arruda EM, Cowin SC, Dumais J, Goriely A, Holzapfel GA, Humphrey JD, Kemkemer R, Kuhl E, Olberding JE, Taber LA, Garikipati K. Perspectives on biological growth and remodeling. JOURNAL OF THE MECHANICS AND PHYSICS OF SOLIDS 2011; 59:863-883. [PMID: 21532929 PMCID: PMC3083065 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmps.2010.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
The continuum mechanical treatment of biological growth and remodeling has attracted considerable attention over the past fifteen years. Many aspects of these problems are now well-understood, yet there remain areas in need of significant development from the standpoint of experiments, theory, and computation. In this perspective paper we review the state of the field and highlight open questions, challenges, and avenues for further development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - G. A. Holzapfel
- Graz University of Technology, Austria, and Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
| | | | - R. Kemkemer
- Max Planck Institut für Metallforschung, Germany
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Demou ZN. Gene expression profiles in 3D tumor analogs indicate compressive strain differentially enhances metastatic potential. Ann Biomed Eng 2010; 38:3509-20. [PMID: 20559731 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-010-0097-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2009] [Accepted: 06/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Non-physiological mechanobiological stimuli typically occur in tumors and are considered to promote cancer spreading. Non-fluid related pressure (solid stress), which arises as tumors grow against adjacent tissues, is among the least studied endogenous stimuli due to challenges in replicating the in vivo environment. To this end, the novel devices well-pressor and the videomicroscopy-compatible optic-pressor were developed to exert precise compressive strain on cells in 3D gels in absence of other mechanical stimuli and soluble gradients. Glioblastoma (U87, HGL21) and breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cells in 1% agarose hydrogels were exposed to 50% compressive strain for 3 h (0.25-0.05 kPa). Live imaging showed that cells elongate and deflect vertically to the load. This stimulation is shown for the first time to differentially regulate metastasis-associated genes. Furthermore, a group of differentially expressed genes was identified in all cell types, both by microarrays and confirmed by RT-PCR for select genes (caveolin-1, integrin-β1, Rac1), indicating shared response mechanisms. These genes are functionally linked and involved in decreasing cell-cell contact, increasing ECM degradation, and ultimately promoting invasion. Caveolin could orchestrate these responses while the uPA and PI3K/Akt systems could play major roles. Future work will focus on specific molecular partnerships under compression and their impact on cancer progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoe N Demou
- Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60614-431, USA.
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50
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Narayanan H, Verner SN, Mills KL, Kemkemer R, Garikipati K. In silico estimates of the free energy rates in growing tumor spheroids. JOURNAL OF PHYSICS. CONDENSED MATTER : AN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS JOURNAL 2010; 22:194122. [PMID: 21386444 DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/22/19/194122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
The physics of solid tumor growth can be considered at three distinct size scales: the tumor scale, the cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) scale and the sub-cellular scale. In this paper we consider the tumor scale in the interest of eventually developing a system-level understanding of the progression of cancer. At this scale, cell populations and chemical species are best treated as concentration fields that vary with time and space. The cells have chemo-mechanical interactions with each other and with the ECM, consume glucose and oxygen that are transported through the tumor, and create chemical by-products. We present a continuum mathematical model for the biochemical dynamics and mechanics that govern tumor growth. The biochemical dynamics and mechanics also engender free energy changes that serve as universal measures for comparison of these processes. Within our mathematical framework we therefore consider the free energy inequality, which arises from the first and second laws of thermodynamics. With the model we compute preliminary estimates of the free energy rates of a growing tumor in its pre-vascular stage by using currently available data from single cells and multicellular tumor spheroids.
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