1
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Ashworth JC, Cox TR. The importance of 3D fibre architecture in cancer and implications for biomaterial model design. Nat Rev Cancer 2024; 24:461-479. [PMID: 38886573 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-024-00704-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
The need for improved prediction of clinical response is driving the development of cancer models with enhanced physiological relevance. A new concept of 'precision biomaterials' is emerging, encompassing patient-mimetic biomaterial models that seek to accurately detect, treat and model cancer by faithfully recapitulating key microenvironmental characteristics. Despite recent advances allowing tissue-mimetic stiffness and molecular composition to be replicated in vitro, approaches for reproducing the 3D fibre architectures found in tumour extracellular matrix (ECM) remain relatively unexplored. Although the precise influences of patient-specific fibre architecture are unclear, we summarize the known roles of tumour fibre architecture, underlining their implications in cell-matrix interactions and ultimately clinical outcome. We then explore the challenges in reproducing tissue-specific 3D fibre architecture(s) in vitro, highlighting relevant biomaterial fabrication techniques and their benefits and limitations. Finally, we discuss imaging and image analysis techniques (focussing on collagen I-optimized approaches) that could hold the key to mapping tumour-specific ECM into high-fidelity biomaterial models. We anticipate that an interdisciplinary approach, combining materials science, cancer research and image analysis, will elucidate the role of 3D fibre architecture in tumour development, leading to the next generation of patient-mimetic models for mechanistic studies and drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- J C Ashworth
- School of Veterinary Medicine & Science, Sutton Bonington Campus, University of Nottingham, Leicestershire, UK.
- Biodiscovery Institute, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia.
| | - T R Cox
- Cancer Ecosystems Program, The Garvan Institute of Medical Research, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia.
- The Kinghorn Cancer Centre, Darlinghurst, New South Wales, Australia.
- School of Clinical Medicine, St Vincent's Healthcare Clinical Campus, UNSW Medicine and Health, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
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2
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Micalet A, Upadhyay A, Javanmardi Y, de Brito CG, Moeendarbary E, Cheema U. Patient-specific colorectal-cancer-associated fibroblasts modulate tumor microenvironment mechanics. iScience 2024; 27:110060. [PMID: 38883829 PMCID: PMC11179580 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) play a major role in reorganizing the physical tumor micro-environment and changing tissue stiffness. Herein, using an engineered three-dimensional (3D) model that mimics the tumor's native biomechanical environment, we characterized the changes in matrix stiffness caused by six patient-specific colorectal CAF populations. After 21 days of culture, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was performed to precisely measure the local changes in tissue stiffness. Each CAF population exhibited heterogeneity in remodeling capabilities, with some patient-derived cells stiffening the matrix and others softening it. Tissue stiffening was mainly attributed to active contraction of the matrix by the cells, whereas the softening was due to enzymatic activity of matrix-cleaving proteins. This measured heterogeneity was lost when the CAFs were cocultured with colorectal cancer cells, as all samples significantly soften the tissue. The interplay between cancer cells and CAFs was critical as it altered any heterogeneity exhibited by CAFs alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Auxtine Micalet
- UCL Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, UK
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Anuja Upadhyay
- UCL Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, UK
| | - Yousef Javanmardi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | | | - Emad Moeendarbary
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
- 199 Biotechnologies Ltd, Gloucester Road, London W2 6LD, UK
| | - Umber Cheema
- UCL Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, UK
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3
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Bloise N, Giannaccari M, Guagliano G, Peluso E, Restivo E, Strada S, Volpini C, Petrini P, Visai L. Growing Role of 3D In Vitro Cell Cultures in the Study of Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms: Short Focus on Breast Cancer, Endometriosis, Liver and Infectious Diseases. Cells 2024; 13:1054. [PMID: 38920683 PMCID: PMC11201503 DOI: 10.3390/cells13121054] [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: 04/16/2024] [Revised: 06/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade, the development of three-dimensional (3D) models has increased exponentially, facilitating the unravelling of fundamental and essential cellular mechanisms by which cells communicate with each other, assemble into tissues and organs and respond to biochemical and biophysical stimuli under both physiological and pathological conditions. This section presents a concise overview of the most recent updates on the significant contribution of different types of 3D cell cultures including spheroids, organoids and organ-on-chip and bio-printed tissues in advancing our understanding of cellular and molecular mechanisms. The case studies presented include the 3D cultures of breast cancer (BC), endometriosis, the liver microenvironment and infections. In BC, the establishment of 3D culture models has permitted the visualization of the role of cancer-associated fibroblasts in the delivery of exosomes, as well as the significance of the physical properties of the extracellular matrix in promoting cell proliferation and invasion. This approach has also become a valuable tool in gaining insight into general and specific mechanisms of drug resistance. Given the considerable heterogeneity of endometriosis, 3D models offer a more accurate representation of the in vivo microenvironment, thereby facilitating the identification and translation of novel targeted therapeutic strategies. The advantages provided by 3D models of the hepatic environment, in conjunction with the high throughput characterizing various platforms, have enabled the elucidation of complex molecular mechanisms underlying various threatening hepatic diseases. A limited number of 3D models for gut and skin infections have been developed. However, a more profound comprehension of the spatial and temporal interactions between microbes, the host and their environment may facilitate the advancement of in vitro, ex vivo and in vivo disease models. Additionally, it may pave the way for the development of novel therapeutic approaches in diverse research fields. The interested reader will also find concluding remarks on the challenges and prospects of using 3D cell cultures for discovering cellular and molecular mechanisms in the research areas covered in this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Bloise
- Molecular Medicine Department (DMM), Centre for Health Technologies (CHT), Unità di Ricerca (UdR) INSTM, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.G.); (E.P.); (E.R.); (S.S.); (C.V.)
- UOR6 Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Prevention and Rehabilitation in Occupational Medicine and Specialty Medicine, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Via Maugeri 4, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research (Centro 3R), Operative Unit (OU) of University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Marialaura Giannaccari
- Molecular Medicine Department (DMM), Centre for Health Technologies (CHT), Unità di Ricerca (UdR) INSTM, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.G.); (E.P.); (E.R.); (S.S.); (C.V.)
| | - Giuseppe Guagliano
- Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering “G. Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, P.zza L. Da Vinci 32, 20133 Milan, Italy; (G.G.); (P.P.)
| | - Emanuela Peluso
- Molecular Medicine Department (DMM), Centre for Health Technologies (CHT), Unità di Ricerca (UdR) INSTM, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.G.); (E.P.); (E.R.); (S.S.); (C.V.)
| | - Elisa Restivo
- Molecular Medicine Department (DMM), Centre for Health Technologies (CHT), Unità di Ricerca (UdR) INSTM, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.G.); (E.P.); (E.R.); (S.S.); (C.V.)
| | - Silvia Strada
- Molecular Medicine Department (DMM), Centre for Health Technologies (CHT), Unità di Ricerca (UdR) INSTM, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.G.); (E.P.); (E.R.); (S.S.); (C.V.)
- UOR6 Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Prevention and Rehabilitation in Occupational Medicine and Specialty Medicine, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Via Maugeri 4, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Cristina Volpini
- Molecular Medicine Department (DMM), Centre for Health Technologies (CHT), Unità di Ricerca (UdR) INSTM, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.G.); (E.P.); (E.R.); (S.S.); (C.V.)
- UOR6 Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Prevention and Rehabilitation in Occupational Medicine and Specialty Medicine, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Via Maugeri 4, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Paola Petrini
- Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering “G. Natta”, Politecnico di Milano, P.zza L. Da Vinci 32, 20133 Milan, Italy; (G.G.); (P.P.)
- Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research (Centro 3R), Operative Unit (OU) of Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Livia Visai
- Molecular Medicine Department (DMM), Centre for Health Technologies (CHT), Unità di Ricerca (UdR) INSTM, University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy; (M.G.); (E.P.); (E.R.); (S.S.); (C.V.)
- UOR6 Nanotechnology Laboratory, Department of Prevention and Rehabilitation in Occupational Medicine and Specialty Medicine, Istituti Clinici Scientifici Maugeri IRCCS, Via Maugeri 4, 27100 Pavia, Italy
- Interuniversity Center for the Promotion of the 3Rs Principles in Teaching and Research (Centro 3R), Operative Unit (OU) of University of Pavia, 27100 Pavia, Italy
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4
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Britto LS, Balasubramani D, Desai S, Phillips P, Trehan N, Cesarman E, Koff JL, Singh A. T Cells Spatially Regulate B Cell Receptor Signaling in Lymphomas through H3K9me3 Modifications. Adv Healthc Mater 2024:e2401192. [PMID: 38837879 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202401192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Activated B cell-like diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (ABC-DLBCL) is a subtype associated with poor survival outcomes. Despite identifying therapeutic targets through molecular characterization, targeted therapies have limited success. New strategies using immune-competent tissue models are needed to understand how DLBCL cells evade treatment. Here, synthetic hydrogel-based lymphoma organoids are used to demonstrate how signals in the lymphoid tumor microenvironment (Ly-TME) can alter B cell receptor (BCR) signaling and specific histone modifications, tri-methylation of histone 3 at lysine 9 (H3K9me3), dampening the effects of BCR pathway inhibition. Using imaging modalities, T cells increase DNA methyltransferase 3A expression and cytoskeleton formation in proximal ABC-DLBCL cells, regulated by H3K9me3. Expansion microscopy on lymphoma organoids reveals T cells increase the size and quantity of segregated H3K9me3 clusters in ABC-DLBCL cells. Findings suggest the re-organization of higher-order chromatin structures that may contribute to evasion or resistance to therapy via the emergence of novel transcriptional states. Treating ABC-DLBCL cells with a G9α histone methyltransferase inhibitor reverses T cell-mediated modulation of H3K9me3 and overcomes T cell-mediated attenuation of treatment response to BCR pathway inhibition. This study emphasizes the Ly-TME's role in altering DLBCL fate and suggests targeting aberrant signaling and microenvironmental cross-talk that can benefit high-risk patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy S Britto
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Deepali Balasubramani
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Sona Desai
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Phunterion Phillips
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Neev Trehan
- St Richards Hospital, University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust, Chichester, West Sussex, PO19 6SE, UK
| | - Ethel Cesarman
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Jean L Koff
- Winship Cancer Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30307, USA
| | - Ankur Singh
- Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
- Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30318, USA
- Petit Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
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5
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Du Plessis LH, Gouws C, Nieto D. The influence of viscosity of hydrogels on the spreading and migration of cells in 3D bioprinted skin cancer models. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1391259. [PMID: 38835508 PMCID: PMC11148284 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1391259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Various in vitro three-dimensional (3D) tissue culture models of human and diseased skin exist. Nevertheless, there is still room for the development and improvement of 3D bioprinted skin cancer models. The need for reproducible bioprinting methods, cell samples, biomaterial inks, and bioinks is becoming increasingly important. The influence of the viscosity of hydrogels on the spreading and migration of most types of cancer cells is well studied. There are however limited studies on the influence of viscosity on the spreading and migration of cells in 3D bioprinted skin cancer models. In this review, we will outline the importance of studying the various types of skin cancers by using 3D cell culture models. We will provide an overview of the advantages and disadvantages of the various 3D bioprinting technologies. We will emphasize how the viscosity of hydrogels relates to the spreading and migration of cancer cells. Lastly, we will give an overview of the specific studies on cell migration and spreading in 3D bioprinted skin cancer models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lissinda H Du Plessis
- Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Chrisna Gouws
- Centre of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, North-West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Daniel Nieto
- Advanced Biofabrication for Tissue and Organ Engineering Group, Interdisciplinary Centre of Chemistry and Biology (CICA), Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Coruña, Campus de A Coruna, Coruna, Spain
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6
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Wu W, Daneker M, Turner KT, Jolley MA, Lu L. Identifying heterogeneous micromechanical properties of biological tissues via physics-informed neural networks. ARXIV 2024:arXiv:2402.10741v2. [PMID: 38745694 PMCID: PMC11092874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
The heterogeneous micromechanical properties of biological tissues have profound implications across diverse medical and engineering domains. However, identifying the full-field heterogeneous elastic properties of soft materials using traditional computational and engineering approaches is fundamentally challenging due to difficulties in estimating local stress fields. Recently, there has been a growing interest in using data-driven models to learn full-field mechanical responses such as displacement and strain from experimental or synthetic data. However, research studies on inferring the full-field elastic properties of materials, a more challenging problem, are scarce, particularly for large deformation, hyperelastic materials. Here, we propose a physics-informed machine learning approach to identify the elastic modulus distribution in nonlinear, large deformation hyperelastic materials. We evaluate the prediction accuracies and computational efficiency of physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) on inferring the heterogeneous material parameter maps across three nonlinear materials with structural complexity that closely resemble real tissue patterns, such as brain tissue and tricuspid valve tissue. Our improved PINN architecture accurately estimates the full-field elastic properties of three hyperelastic constitutive models, with relative errors of less than 5% across all examples. This research has significant potential for advancing our understanding of micromechanical behaviors in biological materials, impacting future innovations in engineering and medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wensi Wu
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Division of Cardiology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Mitchell Daneker
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
- Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Kevin T. Turner
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Matthew A. Jolley
- Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104
- Division of Cardiology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Lu Lu
- Department of Statistics and Data Science, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
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7
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Nguyen HD, Lin CC. Viscoelastic stiffening of gelatin hydrogels for dynamic culture of pancreatic cancer spheroids. Acta Biomater 2024; 177:203-215. [PMID: 38354874 PMCID: PMC10958777 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2024.02.010] [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: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) in pancreatic adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a complex milieu of cellular and non-cellular components. Pancreatic cancer cells (PCC) and cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF) are two major cell types in PDAC TME, whereas the non-cellular components are enriched with extracellular matrices (ECM) that contribute to high stiffness and fast stress-relaxation. Previous studies have suggested that higher matrix rigidity promoted aggressive phenotypes of tumors, including PDAC. However, the effects of dynamic viscoelastic matrix properties on cancer cell fate remain largely unexplored. The focus of this work was to understand the effects of such dynamic matrix properties on PDAC cell behaviors, particularly in the context of PCC/CAF co-culture. To this end, we engineered gelatin-norbornene (GelNB) based hydrogels with a built-in mechanism for simultaneously increasing matrix elastic modulus and viscoelasticity. Two GelNB-based macromers, namely GelNB-hydroxyphenylacetic acid (GelNB-HPA) and GelNB-boronic acid (GelNB-BA), were modularly mixed and crosslinked with 4-arm poly(ethylene glycol)-thiol (PEG4SH) to form elastic hydrogels. Treating the hybrid hydrogels with tyrosinase not only increased the elastic moduli of the gels (due to HPA dimerization) but also concurrently produced 1,2-diols that formed reversible boronic acid-diol bonding with the BA groups on GelNB-BA. We employed patient-derived CAF and a PCC cell line COLO-357 to demonstrate the effect of increasing matrix stiffness and viscoelasticity on CAF and PCC cell fate. Our results indicated that in the stiffened environment, PCC underwent epithelial-mesenchymal transition. In the co-culture PCC and CAF spheroid, CAF enhanced PCC spreading and stimulated collagen 1 production. Through mRNA-sequencing, we further showed that stiffened matrices, regardless of the degree of stress-relaxation, heightened the malignant phenotype of PDAC cells. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The pancreatic cancer microenvironment is a complex milieu composed of various cell types and extracellular matrices. It has been suggested that stiffer matrices could promote aggressive behavior in pancreatic cancer, but the effect of dynamic stiffening and matrix stress-relaxation on cancer cell fate remains largely undefined. This study aimed to explore the impact of dynamic changes in matrix viscoelasticity on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cell behavior by developing a hydrogel system capable of simultaneously increasing stiffness and stress-relaxation on demand. This is achieved by crosslinking two gelatin-based macromers through orthogonal thiol-norbornene photochemistry and post-gelation stiffening with mushroom tyrosinase. The results revealed that higher matrix stiffness, regardless of the degree of stress relaxation, exacerbated the malignant characteristics of PDAC cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han D Nguyen
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Chien-Chi Lin
- Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue School of Engineering & Technology, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN, USA.
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8
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Rainu SK, Singh N. Dual-Sensitive Fluorescent Nanoprobes for Simultaneously Monitoring In Situ Changes in pH and Matrix Metalloproteinase Expression in Stiffness-Tunable Three-Dimensional In Vitro Scaffolds. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2024; 16:12175-12187. [PMID: 38420964 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.3c16334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
A tumor microenvironment often presents altered physicochemical characteristics of the extracellular matrix (ECM) including changes in matrix composition, stiffness, protein expression, pH, temperature, or the presence of certain stromal and immune cells. Of these, overexpression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and extracellular acidosis are the two major hallmarks of cancer that can be exploited for tumor detection. The change in matrix stiffness and the release of certain cytokines (TNF-α) in the tumor microenvironment play major roles in inducing MMP-9 expression in cancerous cells. This study highlights the role of mechanical cues in upregulating MMP-9 expression in cancerous cells using stiffness-tunable matrix compositions and dual-sensitive fluorescent nanoprobes. Ionically cross-linked 3D alginate/gelatin (AG) scaffolds with three stiffnesses were chosen to reflect the ECM stiffnesses corresponding to healthy and pathological tissues. Moreover, a dual-sensitive nanoprobe, an MMP-sensitive peptide conjugated to carbon nanoparticles with intrinsic pH fluorescence properties, was utilized for in situ monitoring of the two cancer hallmarks in the 3D scaffolds. This platform was further utilized for designing a 3D core-shell platform for spatially mapping tumor margins and for visualizing TNF-α-induced MMP-9 expression in cancerous cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simran Kaur Rainu
- Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
| | - Neetu Singh
- Centre for Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110016, India
- Biomedical Engineering Unit, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi 110029, India
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9
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Akolawala Q, Keuning F, Rovituso M, van Burik W, van der Wal E, Versteeg HH, Rondon AMR, Accardo A. Micro-Vessels-Like 3D Scaffolds for Studying the Proton Radiobiology of Glioblastoma-Endothelial Cells Co-Culture Models. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2302988. [PMID: 37944591 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202302988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is a devastating cancer of the brain with an extremely poor prognosis. While X-ray radiotherapy and chemotherapy remain the current standard, proton beam therapy is an appealing alternative as protons can damage cancer cells while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue. However, the effects of protons on in vitro GBM models at the cellular level, especially when co-cultured with endothelial cells, the building blocks of brain micro-vessels, are still unexplored. In this work, novel 3D-engineered scaffolds inspired by the geometry of brain microvasculature are designed, where GBM cells cluster and proliferate. The architectures are fabricated by two-photon polymerization (2PP), pre-cultured with endothelial cells (HUVECs), and then cultured with a human GBM cell line (U251). The micro-vessel structures enable GBM in vivo-like morphologies, and the results show a higher DNA double-strand breakage in GBM monoculture samples when compared to the U251/HUVECs co-culture, with cells in 2D featuring a larger number of DNA damage foci when compared to cells in 3D. The discrepancy in terms of proton radiation response indicates a difference in the radioresistance of the GBM cells mediated by the presence of HUVECs and the possible induction of stemness features that contribute to radioresistance and improved DNA repair.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qais Akolawala
- Department of Precision and Microsystems Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD, Delft, The Netherlands
- Holland Proton Therapy Center (HollandPTC), Huismansingel 4, 2629 JH, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Floor Keuning
- Erasmus University College, Nieuwemarkt 1A, Rotterdam, 3011 HP, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marta Rovituso
- Holland Proton Therapy Center (HollandPTC), Huismansingel 4, 2629 JH, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter van Burik
- Holland Proton Therapy Center (HollandPTC), Huismansingel 4, 2629 JH, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Ernst van der Wal
- Holland Proton Therapy Center (HollandPTC), Huismansingel 4, 2629 JH, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Henri H Versteeg
- Einthoven Laboratory for Vascular and Regenerative Medicine, Division of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Araci M R Rondon
- Einthoven Laboratory for Vascular and Regenerative Medicine, Division of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Angelo Accardo
- Department of Precision and Microsystems Engineering, Faculty of Mechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 2, 2628 CD, Delft, The Netherlands
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10
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Blomberg R, Sompel K, Hauer C, Smith AJ, Peña B, Driscoll J, Hume PS, Merrick DT, Tennis MA, Magin CM. Hydrogel-Embedded Precision-Cut Lung Slices Model Lung Cancer Premalignancy Ex Vivo. Adv Healthc Mater 2024; 13:e2302246. [PMID: 37953708 PMCID: PMC10872976 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202302246] [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: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading global cause of cancer-related deaths. Although smoking cessation is the best prevention, 50% of lung cancer diagnoses occur in people who have quit smoking. Research into treatment options for high-risk patients is constrained to rodent models, which are time-consuming, expensive, and require large cohorts. Embedding precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) within an engineered hydrogel and exposing this tissue to vinyl carbamate, a carcinogen from cigarette smoke, creates an in vitro model of lung cancer premalignancy. Hydrogel formulations are selected to promote early lung cancer cellular phenotypes and extend PCLS viability to six weeks. Hydrogel-embedded PCLS are exposed to vinyl carbamate, which induces adenocarcinoma in mice. Analysis of proliferation, gene expression, histology, tissue stiffness, and cellular content after six weeks reveals that vinyl carbamate induces premalignant lesions with a mixed adenoma/squamous phenotype. Putative chemoprevention agents diffuse through the hydrogel and induce tissue-level changes. The design parameters selected using murine tissue are validated with hydrogel-embedded human PCLS and results show increased proliferation and premalignant lesion gene expression patterns. This tissue-engineered model of human lung cancer premalignancy is the foundation for more sophisticated ex vivo models that enable the study of carcinogenesis and chemoprevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Blomberg
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado, Denver |Anschutz, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Kayla Sompel
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Caroline Hauer
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Alex J Smith
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Brisa Peña
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado, Denver |Anschutz, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Cardiovascular Institute & Adult Medical Genetics, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Jennifer Driscoll
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, 80206, USA
| | - Patrick S Hume
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine, Department of Medicine, National Jewish Health, Denver, CO, 80206, USA
| | - Daniel T Merrick
- Department of Pathology, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Meredith A Tennis
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Chelsea M Magin
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Colorado, Denver |Anschutz, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado, Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
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11
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Chakkera M, Foote JB, Farran B, Nagaraju GP. Breaking the stromal barrier in pancreatic cancer: Advances and challenges. Biochim Biophys Acta Rev Cancer 2024; 1879:189065. [PMID: 38160899 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbcan.2023.189065] [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: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Pancreatic cancer (PC) remains a leading cause of mortality worldwide due to the absence of early detection methods and the low success rates of traditional therapeutic strategies. Drug resistance in PC is driven by its desmoplastic stroma, which creates a barrier that shields cancer niches and prevents the penetration of drugs. The PC stroma comprises heterogeneous cellular populations and non-cellular components involved in aberrant ECM deposition, immunosuppression, and drug resistance. These components can influence PC development through intricate and complex crosstalk with the PC cells. Understanding how stromal components and cells interact with and influence the invasiveness and refractoriness of PC cells is thus a prerequisite for developing successful stroma-modulating strategies capable of remodeling the PC stroma to alleviate drug resistance and enhance therapeutic outcomes. In this review, we explore how non-cellular and cellular stromal components, including cancer-associated fibroblasts and tumor-associated macrophages, contribute to the immunosuppressive and tumor-promoting effects of the stroma. We also examine the signaling pathways underlying their activation, tumorigenic effects, and interactions with PC cells. Finally, we discuss recent pre-clinical and clinical work aimed at developing and testing novel stroma-modulating agents to alleviate drug resistance and improve therapeutic outcomes in PC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohana Chakkera
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Jeremy B Foote
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - Batoul Farran
- Department of Oncology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA
| | - Ganji Purnachandra Nagaraju
- Department of Hematology and Oncology, Heersink School of Medicine, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA.
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12
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Jahin I, Phillips T, Marcotti S, Gorey MA, Cox S, Parsons M. Extracellular matrix stiffness activates mechanosensitive signals but limits breast cancer cell spheroid proliferation and invasion. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023; 11:1292775. [PMID: 38125873 PMCID: PMC10731024 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2023.1292775] [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: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Breast cancer is characterized by physical changes that occur in the tumor microenvironment throughout growth and metastasis of tumors. Extracellular matrix stiffness increases as tumors develop and spread, with stiffer environments thought to correlate with poorer disease prognosis. Changes in extracellular stiffness and other physical characteristics are sensed by integrins which integrate these extracellular cues to intracellular signaling, resulting in modulation of proliferation and invasion. However, the co-ordination of mechano-sensitive signaling with functional changes to groups of tumor cells within 3-dimensional environments remains poorly understood. Here we provide evidence that increasing the stiffness of collagen scaffolds results in increased activation of ERK1/2 and YAP in human breast cancer cell spheroids. We also show that ERK1/2 acts upstream of YAP activation in this context. We further demonstrate that YAP, matrix metalloproteinases and actomyosin contractility are required for collagen remodeling, proliferation and invasion in lower stiffness scaffolds. However, the increased activation of these proteins in higher stiffness 3-dimensional collagen gels is correlated with reduced proliferation and reduced invasion of cancer cell spheroids. Our data collectively provide evidence that higher stiffness 3-dimensional environments induce mechano-signaling but contrary to evidence from 2-dimensional studies, this is not sufficient to promote pro-tumorigenic effects in breast cancer cell spheroids.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Maddy Parsons
- Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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13
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Micalet A, Tappouni LJ, Peszko K, Karagianni D, Lam A, Counsell JR, Quezada SA, Moeendarbary E, Cheema U. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA) regulates invasion and matrix remodelling in colorectal cancer. Matrix Biol Plus 2023; 19-20:100137. [PMID: 38020586 PMCID: PMC10667746 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbplus.2023.100137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Cancer cells remodel their local physical environment through processes of matrix reorganisation, deposition, stiffening and degradation. Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), which is encoded by the PLAU gene, is an extracellular proteolytic enzyme known to be involved in cancer progression and tumour microenvironment (TME) remodelling. Perturbing uPA therefore has a strong potential as a mechano-based cancer therapy. This work is a bioengineering investigation to validate whether 1) uPA is involved in matrix degradation and 2) preventing matrix degradation by targeting uPA can reduce cancer cell invasion and metastasis. Methods To this aim, we used an engineered 3D in vitro model, termed the tumouroid, that appropriately mimics the tumour's native biophysical environment (3 kPa). A CRISPR-Cas9 mediated uPA knockout was performed to introduce a loss of function mutation in the gene coding sequence. Subsequently, to validate the translational potential of blocking uPA action, we tested a pharmacological inhibitor, UK-371,801. The changes in matrix stiffness were measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Invasion was quantified using images of the tumouroid, obtained after 21 days of culture. Results We showed that uPA is highly expressed in invasive breast and colorectal cancers, and these invasive cancer cells locally degrade their TME. PLAU (uPA) gene knock-out (KO) completely stopped matrix remodelling and significantly reduced cancer invasion. Many invasive cancer gene markers were also downregulated in the PLAU KO tumouroids. Pharmacological inhibition of uPA showed similarly promising results, where matrix degradation was reduced and so was the cancer invasion. Conclusion This work supports the role of uPA in matrix degradation. It demonstrates that the invasion of cancer cells was significantly reduced when enzymatic breakdown of the TME matrix was prevented. Collectively, this provides strong evidence of the effectiveness of targeting uPA as a mechano-based cancer therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Auxtine Micalet
- UCL Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, United Kingdom
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | - Luke J. Tappouni
- UCL Centre for Targeted Cancer Therapies, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, United Kingdom
| | - Katarzyna Peszko
- UCL Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, United Kingdom
| | - Despoina Karagianni
- Immune Regulation and Tumour Immunotherapy Group, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6DD, United Kingdom
| | - Ashley Lam
- UCL Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, United Kingdom
| | - John R. Counsell
- UCL Centre for Targeted Cancer Therapies, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, United Kingdom
| | - Sergio A. Quezada
- Immune Regulation and Tumour Immunotherapy Group, UCL Cancer Institute, University College London, 72 Huntley Street, London WC1E 6DD, United Kingdom
| | - Emad Moeendarbary
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
- 199 Biotechnologies Ltd., Gloucester Road, London W2 6LD, United Kingdom
| | - Umber Cheema
- UCL Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, United Kingdom
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14
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Ngo TKN, Yang SJ, Mao BH, Nguyen TKM, Ng QD, Kuo YL, Tsai JH, Saw SN, Tu TY. A deep learning-based pipeline for analyzing the influences of interfacial mechanochemical microenvironments on spheroid invasion using differential interference contrast microscopic images. Mater Today Bio 2023; 23:100820. [PMID: 37810748 PMCID: PMC10558776 DOI: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2023.100820] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Revised: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Metastasis is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. During this process, cancer cells are likely to navigate discrete tissue-tissue interfaces, enabling them to infiltrate and spread throughout the body. Three-dimensional (3D) spheroid modeling is receiving more attention due to its strengths in studying the invasive behavior of metastatic cancer cells. While microscopy is a conventional approach for investigating 3D invasion, post-invasion image analysis, which is a time-consuming process, remains a significant challenge for researchers. In this study, we presented an image processing pipeline that utilized a deep learning (DL) solution, with an encoder-decoder architecture, to assess and characterize the invasion dynamics of tumor spheroids. The developed models, equipped with feature extraction and measurement capabilities, could be successfully utilized for the automated segmentation of the invasive protrusions as well as the core region of spheroids situated within interfacial microenvironments with distinct mechanochemical factors. Our findings suggest that a combination of the spheroid culture and DL-based image analysis enable identification of time-lapse migratory patterns for tumor spheroids above matrix-substrate interfaces, thus paving the foundation for delineating the mechanism of local invasion during cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thi Kim Ngan Ngo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Sze Jue Yang
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Bin-Hsu Mao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Thi Kim Mai Nguyen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Qi Ding Ng
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Yao-Lung Kuo
- Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
- Department of Surgery, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Jui-Hung Tsai
- Department of Internal Medicine, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
| | - Shier Nee Saw
- Department of Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Malaya, 50603, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
| | - Ting-Yuan Tu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
- Medical Device Innovation Center, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, 70101, Taiwan
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15
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Asgeirsson DO, Mehta A, Scheeder A, Li F, Wang X, Christiansen MG, Hesse N, Ward R, De Micheli AJ, Ildiz ES, Menghini S, Aceto N, Schuerle S. Magnetically controlled cyclic microscale deformation of in vitro cancer invasion models. Biomater Sci 2023; 11:7541-7555. [PMID: 37855703 DOI: 10.1039/d3bm00583f] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2023]
Abstract
Mechanical cues play an important role in the metastatic cascade of cancer. Three-dimensional (3D) tissue matrices with tunable stiffness have been extensively used as model systems of the tumor microenvironment for physiologically relevant studies. Tumor-associated cells actively deform these matrices, providing mechanical cues to other cancer cells residing in the tissue. Mimicking such dynamic deformation in the surrounding tumor matrix may help clarify the effect of local strain on cancer cell invasion. Remotely controlled microscale magnetic actuation of such 3D in vitro systems is a promising approach, offering a non-invasive means for in situ interrogation. Here, we investigate the influence of cyclic deformation on tumor spheroids embedded in matrices, continuously exerted for days by cell-sized anisotropic magnetic probes, referred to as μRods. Particle velocimetry analysis revealed the spatial extent of matrix deformation produced in response to a magnetic field, which was found to be on the order of 200 μm, resembling strain fields reported to originate from contracting cells. Intracellular calcium influx was observed in response to cyclic actuation, as well as an influence on cancer cell invasion from 3D spheroids, as compared to unactuated controls. Furthermore, RNA sequencing revealed subtle upregulation of certain genes associated with migration and stress, such as induced through mechanical deformation, for spheroids exposed to actuation vs. controls. Localized actuation at one side of a tumor spheroid tended to result in anisotropic invasion toward the μRods causing the deformation. In summary, our approach offers a strategy to test and control the influence of non-invasive micromechanical cues on cancer cell invasion and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daphne O Asgeirsson
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Responsive Biomedical Systems Laboratory, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Avni Mehta
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Responsive Biomedical Systems Laboratory, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Anna Scheeder
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Responsive Biomedical Systems Laboratory, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB3 0AS, U.K
| | - Fan Li
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Responsive Biomedical Systems Laboratory, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Xiang Wang
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Responsive Biomedical Systems Laboratory, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Michael G Christiansen
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Responsive Biomedical Systems Laboratory, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Nicolas Hesse
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Responsive Biomedical Systems Laboratory, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Rachel Ward
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Responsive Biomedical Systems Laboratory, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Andrea J De Micheli
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Responsive Biomedical Systems Laboratory, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
- Department of Oncology, Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Ece Su Ildiz
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stefano Menghini
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Responsive Biomedical Systems Laboratory, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Nicola Aceto
- Department of Biology, Institute of Molecular Health Sciences, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simone Schuerle
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Responsive Biomedical Systems Laboratory, ETH Zurich, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland.
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16
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Xu R, Yin P, Wei J, Ding Q. The role of matrix stiffness in breast cancer progression: a review. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1284926. [PMID: 37916166 PMCID: PMC10616305 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1284926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The significance of matrix stiffness in cancer development has been investigated in recent years. The gradual elastic force the extracellular matrix imparts to cells, known as matrix stiffness, is one of the most important types of mechanical stimulation. Increased matrix stiffness alters the biological activity of cells, which promotes the growth of numerous malignancies, including breast cancer. Comprehensive studies have demonstrated that increasing matrix stiffness activates molecular signaling pathways that are closely linked to breast cancer progression. There are many articles exploring the relationship between mechanism hardness and breast cancer, so we wanted to provide a systematic summary of recent research advances. In this review, we briefly introduce the mechanism of matrix stiffness in breast cancer, elaborate on the effect of extracellular matrix stiffness on breast cancer biological behavior and signaling pathways, and finally, we will talk about breast cancer treatment that focuses on matrix stiffness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruoxi Xu
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
- Jiangsu Breast Disease Center, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Peng Yin
- Jiangsu Breast Disease Center, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jifu Wei
- Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Jiangsu Cancer Hospital, Jiangsu Institute of Cancer Research, Nanjing, China
| | - Qiang Ding
- Jiangsu Breast Disease Center, The First Affiliated Hospital with Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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17
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Dalir Abdolahinia E, Han X. The Three-Dimensional In Vitro Cell Culture Models in the Study of Oral Cancer Immune Microenvironment. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:4266. [PMID: 37686542 PMCID: PMC10487272 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15174266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The onset and progression of oral cancer are accompanied by a dynamic interaction with the host immune system, and the immune cells within the tumor microenvironment play a pivotal role in the development of the tumor. By exploring the cellular immunity of oral cancer, we can gain insight into the contribution of both tumor cells and immune cells to tumorigenesis. This understanding is crucial for developing effective immunotherapeutic strategies to combat oral cancer. Studies of cancer immunology present unique challenges in terms of modeling due to the extraordinary complexity of the immune system. With its multitude of cellular components, each with distinct subtypes and various activation states, the immune system interacts with cancer cells and other components of the tumor, ultimately shaping the course of the disease. Conventional two-dimensional (2D) culture methods fall short of capturing these intricate cellular interactions. Mouse models enable us to learn about tumor biology in complicated and dynamic physiological systems but have limitations as the murine immune system differs significantly from that of humans. In light of these challenges, three-dimensional (3D) culture systems offer an alternative approach to studying cancer immunology and filling the existing gaps in available models. These 3D culture models provide a means to investigate complex cellular interactions that are difficult to replicate in 2D cultures. The direct study of the interaction between immune cells and cancer cells of human origin offers a more relevant and representative platform compared to mouse models, enabling advancements in our understanding of cancer immunology. This review explores commonly used 3D culture models and highlights their significant contributions to expanding our knowledge of cancer immunology. By harnessing the power of 3D culture systems, we can unlock new insights that pave the way for improved strategies in the battle against oral cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xiaozhe Han
- Department of Oral Science and Translation Research, College of Dental Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33314, USA
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18
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Whisler J, Shahreza S, Schlegelmilch K, Ege N, Javanmardi Y, Malandrino A, Agrawal A, Fantin A, Serwinski B, Azizgolshani H, Park C, Shone V, Demuren OO, Del Rosario A, Butty VL, Holroyd N, Domart MC, Hooper S, Szita N, Boyer LA, Walker-Samuel S, Djordjevic B, Sheridan GK, Collinson L, Calvo F, Ruhrberg C, Sahai E, Kamm R, Moeendarbary E. Emergent mechanical control of vascular morphogenesis. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg9781. [PMID: 37566656 PMCID: PMC10421067 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg9781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023]
Abstract
Vascularization is driven by morphogen signals and mechanical cues that coordinately regulate cellular force generation, migration, and shape change to sculpt the developing vascular network. However, it remains unclear whether developing vasculature actively regulates its own mechanical properties to achieve effective vascularization. We engineered tissue constructs containing endothelial cells and fibroblasts to investigate the mechanics of vascularization. Tissue stiffness increases during vascular morphogenesis resulting from emergent interactions between endothelial cells, fibroblasts, and ECM and correlates with enhanced vascular function. Contractile cellular forces are key to emergent tissue stiffening and synergize with ECM mechanical properties to modulate the mechanics of vascularization. Emergent tissue stiffening and vascular function rely on mechanotransduction signaling within fibroblasts, mediated by YAP1. Mouse embryos lacking YAP1 in fibroblasts exhibit both reduced tissue stiffness and develop lethal vascular defects. Translating our findings through biology-inspired vascular tissue engineering approaches will have substantial implications in regenerative medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan Whisler
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Somayeh Shahreza
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | | | - Nil Ege
- Tumour Cell Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Mnemo Therapeutics, 101 Boulevard Murat, 75016 Paris, France
| | - Yousef Javanmardi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Andrea Malandrino
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering Group, Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Research Center for Biomedical Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Av. Eduard Maristany, 10-14 08019 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ayushi Agrawal
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Alessandro Fantin
- UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Biosciences, University of Milan, Via G. Celoria 26, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Bianca Serwinski
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
- 199 Biotechnologies Ltd., Gloucester Road, London W2 6LD, UK
- Northeastern University London, London, E1W 1LP, UK
| | - Hesham Azizgolshani
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Clara Park
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Victoria Shone
- Experimental Histopathology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Olukunle O. Demuren
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Amanda Del Rosario
- David H. Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Vincent L. Butty
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Natalie Holroyd
- UCL Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, UK
| | | | - Steven Hooper
- Tumour Cell Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Laurie A. Boyer
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Simon Walker-Samuel
- UCL Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging, Paul O'Gorman Building, 72 Huntley Street, London, UK
| | - Boris Djordjevic
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
- 199 Biotechnologies Ltd., Gloucester Road, London W2 6LD, UK
| | - Graham K. Sheridan
- School of Life Sciences, Queen’s Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Lucy Collinson
- Electron Microscopy Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Fernando Calvo
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Cantabria), Santander, Spain
| | | | - Erik Sahai
- Tumour Cell Biology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Roger Kamm
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Emad Moeendarbary
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- 199 Biotechnologies Ltd., Gloucester Road, London W2 6LD, UK
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19
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Yeo J, Yang R, Spero E, Ling S. Special Issue on Engineering Bioinspired and Biological Materials. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2023; 9:3725-3728. [PMID: 37452569 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c00786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
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20
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Javanmardi Y, Agrawal A, Malandrino A, Lasli S, Chen M, Shahreza S, Serwinski B, Cammoun L, Li R, Jorfi M, Djordjevic B, Szita N, Spill F, Bertazzo S, Sheridan GK, Shenoy V, Calvo F, Kamm R, Moeendarbary E. Endothelium and Subendothelial Matrix Mechanics Modulate Cancer Cell Transendothelial Migration. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2206554. [PMID: 37051804 PMCID: PMC10238207 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202206554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 03/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Cancer cell extravasation, a key step in the metastatic cascade, involves cancer cell arrest on the endothelium, transendothelial migration (TEM), followed by the invasion into the subendothelial extracellular matrix (ECM) of distant tissues. While cancer research has mostly focused on the biomechanical interactions between tumor cells (TCs) and ECM, particularly at the primary tumor site, very little is known about the mechanical properties of endothelial cells and the subendothelial ECM and how they contribute to the extravasation process. Here, an integrated experimental and theoretical framework is developed to investigate the mechanical crosstalk between TCs, endothelium and subendothelial ECM during in vitro cancer cell extravasation. It is found that cancer cell actin-rich protrusions generate complex push-pull forces to initiate and drive TEM, while transmigration success also relies on the forces generated by the endothelium. Consequently, mechanical properties of the subendothelial ECM and endothelial actomyosin contractility that mediate the endothelial forces also impact the endothelium's resistance to cancer cell transmigration. These results indicate that mechanical features of distant tissues, including force interactions between the endothelium and the subendothelial ECM, are key determinants of metastatic organotropism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yousef Javanmardi
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity College LondonTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUK
| | - Ayushi Agrawal
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity College LondonTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUK
| | - Andrea Malandrino
- Department of Biological EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMA02139USA
- Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering GroupDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering and Research Center for Biomedical EngineeringUniversitat Politécnica de Catalunya (UPC)08019BarcelonaSpain
| | - Soufian Lasli
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity College LondonTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUK
| | - Michelle Chen
- Department of Biological EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMA02139USA
| | - Somayeh Shahreza
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity College LondonTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUK
| | - Bianca Serwinski
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity College LondonTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUK
- 199 Biotechnologies LtdGloucester RoadLondonW2 6LDUK
| | - Leila Cammoun
- Department of Biological EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMA02139USA
| | - Ran Li
- Department of Biological EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMA02139USA
| | - Mehdi Jorfi
- Department of Biological EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMA02139USA
| | - Boris Djordjevic
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity College LondonTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUK
- 199 Biotechnologies LtdGloucester RoadLondonW2 6LDUK
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonWC1E 6BTUK
| | - Fabian Spill
- School of MathematicsUniversity of BirminghamEdgbastonBirminghamB152TSUK
| | - Sergio Bertazzo
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical EngineeringUniversity College LondonLondonWC1E 6BTUK
| | - Graham K Sheridan
- School of Life SciencesQueen's Medical CentreUniversity of NottinghamNottinghamNG7 2UHUK
| | - Vivek Shenoy
- Department of Materials Science and EngineeringUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPA19104USA
| | - Fernando Calvo
- Instituto de Biomedicina y Biotecnología de Cantabria (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Universidad de Cantabria)Santander39011Spain
| | - Roger Kamm
- Department of Biological EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMA02139USA
| | - Emad Moeendarbary
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUniversity College LondonTorrington PlaceLondonWC1E 7JEUK
- Department of Biological EngineeringMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyCambridgeMA02139USA
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21
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Kim H, Wirasaputra A, Mohammadi F, Kundu AN, Esteves JAE, Heiser LM, Meyer AS, Peyton SR. Live Cell Lineage Tracing of Dormant Cancer Cells. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2202275. [PMID: 36625629 PMCID: PMC10238615 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202202275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2022] [Revised: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer is a leading cause of global cancer-related deaths, and metastasis is the overwhelming culprit of poor patient prognosis. The most nefarious aspect of metastasis is dormancy, a prolonged period between primary tumor resection and relapse. Current therapies are insufficient at killing dormant cells; thus, they can remain quiescent in the body for decades until eventually undergoing a phenotypic switch, resulting in metastases that are more adaptable and drug resistant. Unfortunately, dormancy has few in vitro models, largely because lab-derived cell lines are highly proliferative. Existing models address tumor dormancy, not cellular dormancy, because tracking individual cells is technically challenging. To combat this problem, a live cell lineage approach to find and track individual dormant cells, distinguishing them from proliferative and dying cells over multiple days, is adapted. This approach is applied across a range of different in vitro microenvironments. This approach reveals that the proportion of cells that exhibit long-term quiescence is regulated by both cell intrinsic and extrinsic factors, with the most dormant cells found in 3D collagen gels. This paper envisions that this approach will prove useful to biologists and bioengineers in the dormancy community to identify, quantify, and study dormant tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyuna Kim
- Molecular and Cell Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
| | - Anna Wirasaputra
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
| | - Farnaz Mohammadi
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Aritra Nath Kundu
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
| | - Jennifer A E Esteves
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
| | - Laura M Heiser
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239, USA
| | - Aaron S Meyer
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Shelly R Peyton
- Molecular and Cell Biology Graduate Program, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01002, USA
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22
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Blomberg R, Sompel K, Hauer C, Pe A B, Driscoll J, Hume PS, Merrick DT, Tennis MA, Magin CM. Tissue-engineered models of lung cancer premalignancy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.15.532835. [PMID: 36993773 PMCID: PMC10055140 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.15.532835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Lung cancer is the leading global cause of cancer-related deaths. Although smoking cessation is the best preventive action, nearly 50% of all lung cancer diagnoses occur in people who have already quit smoking. Research into treatment options for these high-risk patients has been constrained to rodent models of chemical carcinogenesis, which are time-consuming, expensive, and require large numbers of animals. Here we show that embedding precision-cut lung slices within an engineered hydrogel and exposing this tissue to a carcinogen from cigarette smoke creates an in vitro model of lung cancer premalignancy. Hydrogel formulations were selected to promote early lung cancer cellular phenotypes and extend PCLS viability up to six weeks. In this study, hydrogel-embedded lung slices were exposed to the cigarette smoke derived carcinogen vinyl carbamate, which induces adenocarcinoma in mice. At six weeks, analysis of proliferation, gene expression, histology, tissue stiffness, and cellular content revealed that vinyl carbamate induced the formation of premalignant lesions with a mixed adenoma/squamous phenotype. Two putative chemoprevention agents were able to freely diffuse through the hydrogel and induce tissue-level changes. The design parameters selected using murine tissue were validated with hydrogel-embedded human PCLS and results showed increased proliferation and premalignant lesion gene expression patterns. This tissue-engineered model of human lung cancer premalignancy is the starting point for more sophisticated ex vivo models and a foundation for the study of carcinogenesis and chemoprevention strategies.
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23
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Watson SA, Javanmardi Y, Zanieri L, Shahreza S, Ragazzini R, Bonfanti P, Moeendarbary E. Integrated role of human thymic stromal cells in hematopoietic stem cell extravasation. Bioeng Transl Med 2023; 8:e10454. [PMID: 36925684 PMCID: PMC10013751 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 11/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The human thymus is the site of T-cell maturation and induction of central tolerance. Hematopoietic stem cell (HSC)-derived progenitors are recruited to the thymus from the fetal liver during early prenatal development and from bone marrow at later stages and postnatal life. The mechanism by which HSCs are recruited to the thymus is poorly understood in humans, though mouse models have indicated the critical role of thymic stromal cells (TSC). Here, we developed a 3D microfluidic assay based on human cells to model HSC extravasation across the endothelium into the extracellular matrix. We found that the presence of human TSC consisting of cultured thymic epithelial cells (TEC) and interstitial cells (TIC) increases the HSC extravasation rates by 3-fold. Strikingly, incorporating TEC or TIC alone is insufficient to perturb HSC extravasation rates. Furthermore, we identified complex gene expressions from interactions between endothelial cells, TEC and TIC modulates the HSCs extravasation. Our results suggest that comprehensive signaling from the complex thymic microenvironment is crucial for thymus seeding and that our system will allow manipulation of these signals with the potential to increase thymocyte migration in a therapeutic setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara A. Watson
- Department of Mechanical EngineeringUCLLondonUK
- Epithelial Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine LabThe Francis Crick InstituteLondonUK
| | | | - Luca Zanieri
- Epithelial Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine LabThe Francis Crick InstituteLondonUK
- Institute of Immunity and TransplantationDivision of Infection & Immunity, UCLLondonUK
| | | | - Roberta Ragazzini
- Epithelial Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine LabThe Francis Crick InstituteLondonUK
- Institute of Immunity and TransplantationDivision of Infection & Immunity, UCLLondonUK
| | - Paola Bonfanti
- Epithelial Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine LabThe Francis Crick InstituteLondonUK
- Institute of Immunity and TransplantationDivision of Infection & Immunity, UCLLondonUK
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24
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Pan HJ, Lee CW, Wu LY, Hsu HH, Tung YC, Liao WY, Lee CH. A 3D culture system for evaluating the combined effects of cisplatin and anti-fibrotic drugs on the growth and invasion of lung cancer cells co-cultured with fibroblasts. APL Bioeng 2023; 7:016117. [PMID: 37006781 PMCID: PMC10060027 DOI: 10.1063/5.0115464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Fibrosis and fibroblast activation usually occur in the tissues surrounding a malignant tumor; therefore, anti-fibrotic drugs are used in addition to chemotherapy. A reliable technique for evaluating the combined effects of anti-fibrotic drugs and anticancer drugs would be beneficial for the development of an appropriate treatment strategy. In this study, we manufactured a three-dimensional (3D) co-culture system of fibroblasts and lung cancer cell spheroids in Matrigel supplemented with fibrin (fibrin/Matrigel) that simulated the tissue microenvironment around a solid tumor. We compared the efficacy of an anticancer drug (cisplatin) with or without pretreatments of two anti-fibrotic drugs, nintedanib and pirfenidone, on the growth and invasion of cancer cells co-cultured with fibroblasts. The results showed that the addition of nintedanib improved cisplatin's effects on suppressing the growth of cancer cell spheroids and the invasion of cancer cells. In contrast, pirfenidone did not enhance the anticancer activity of cisplatin. Nintedanib also showed higher efficacy than pirfenidone in reducing the expression of four genes in fibroblasts associated with cell adhesion, invasion, and extracellular matrix degradation. This study demonstrated that the 3D co-cultures in fibrin/Matrigel would be useful for assessing the effects of drug combinations on tumor growth and invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huei-Jyuan Pan
- Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Wei Lee
- Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Li-Yu Wu
- Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 11221, Taiwan
| | - Heng-Hua Hsu
- Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Chung Tung
- Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei 11529, Taiwan
| | - Wei-Yu Liao
- Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed: and
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25
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Pape J, Micalet A, Alsheikh W, Ezbakh N, Virjee RI, Al Hosni R, Moeendarbary E, Cheema U. Biophysical Parameters Can Induce Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Phenotypic and Genotypic Changes in HT-29 Cells: A Preliminary Study. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:3956. [PMID: 36835368 PMCID: PMC9962772 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24043956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer is the process described where cancer epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal properties which can lead to enhanced invasiveness. Three-dimensional cancer models often lack the relevant and biomimetic microenvironment parameters appropriate to the native tumour microenvironment thought to drive EMT. In this study, HT-29 epithelial colorectal cells were cultivated in different oxygen and collagen concentrations to investigate how these biophysical parameters influenced invasion patterns and EMT. Colorectal HT-29 cells were grown in physiological hypoxia (5% O2) and normoxia (21% O2) in 2D, 3D soft (60 Pa), and 3D stiff (4 kPa) collagen matrices. Physiological hypoxia was sufficient to trigger expression of markers of EMT in the HT-29 cells in 2D by day 7. This is in contrast to a control breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, which expresses a mesenchymal phenotype regardless of the oxygen concentration. In 3D, HT-29 cells invaded more extensively in a stiff matrix environment with corresponding increases in the invasive genes MMP2 and RAE1. This demonstrates that the physiological environment can directly impact HT-29 cells in terms of EMT marker expression and invasion, compared to an established cell line, MDA-MB-231, which has already undergone EMT. This study highlights the importance of the biophysical microenvironment to cancer epithelial cells and how these factors can direct cell behaviour. In particular, that stiffness of the 3D matrix drives greater invasion in HT-29 cells regardless of hypoxia. It is also pertinent that some cell lines (already having undergone EMT) are not as sensitive to the biophysical features of their microenvironment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Pape
- Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, UK
| | - Auxtine Micalet
- Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, UK
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Wissal Alsheikh
- Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, UK
| | - Nadia Ezbakh
- Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, UK
| | - Rania-Iman Virjee
- Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, UK
| | - Rawiya Al Hosni
- Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, UK
| | - Emad Moeendarbary
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Umber Cheema
- Centre for 3D Models of Health and Disease, Department of Targeted Intervention, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, Charles Bell House, 43-45 Foley Street, London W1W 7TS, UK
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26
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Shou Y, Teo XY, Li X, Zhicheng L, Liu L, Sun X, Jonhson W, Ding J, Lim CT, Tay A. Dynamic Magneto-Softening of 3D Hydrogel Reverses Malignant Transformation of Cancer Cells and Enhances Drug Efficacy. ACS NANO 2023; 17:2851-2867. [PMID: 36633150 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c11278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
High extracellular matrix stiffness is a prominent feature of malignant tumors associated with poor clinical prognosis. To elucidate mechanistic connections between increased matrix stiffness and tumor progression, a variety of hydrogel scaffolds with dynamic changes in stiffness have been developed. These approaches, however, are not biocompatible at high temperature, strong irradiation, and acidic/basic pH, often lack reversibility (can only stiffen and not soften), and do not allow study on the same cell population longitudinally. In this work, we develop a dynamic 3D magnetic hydrogel whose matrix stiffness can be wirelessly and reversibly stiffened and softened multiple times with different rates of change using an external magnet. With this platform, we found that matrix stiffness increased tumor malignancy including denser cell organization, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and hypoxia. More interestingly, these malignant transformations could be halted or reversed with matrix softening (i.e., mechanical rescue), to potentiate drug efficacy attributing to reduced solid stress from matrix and downregulation of cell mechano-transductors including YAP1. We propose that our platform can be used to deepen understanding of the impact of matrix softening on cancer biology, an important but rarely studied phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufeng Shou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117583, Singapore
- Institute for Health Innovation & Technology, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Xin Yong Teo
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117583, Singapore
| | - Xianlei Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117583, Singapore
- Institute for Health Innovation & Technology, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Le Zhicheng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117583, Singapore
- Institute for Health Innovation & Technology, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore
| | - Ling Liu
- Institute for Health Innovation & Technology, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore
- NUS Tissue Engineering Program, National University of Singapore, 117510, Singapore
| | - Xinhong Sun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117583, Singapore
| | - Win Jonhson
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117575, Singapore
| | - Jun Ding
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117575, Singapore
| | - Chwee Teck Lim
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117583, Singapore
- Institute for Health Innovation & Technology, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, 117411, Singapore
| | - Andy Tay
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, 117583, Singapore
- Institute for Health Innovation & Technology, National University of Singapore, 117599, Singapore
- NUS Tissue Engineering Program, National University of Singapore, 117510, Singapore
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27
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Svoren M, Camerini E, van Erp M, Yang FW, Bakker GJ, Wolf K. Approaches to Determine Nuclear Shape in Cells During Migration Through Collagen Matrices. Methods Mol Biol 2023; 2608:97-114. [PMID: 36653704 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-2887-4_7] [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] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Fibrillar collagen is an abundant extracellular matrix (ECM) component of interstitial tissues which supports the structure of many organs, including the skin and breast. Many different physiological processes, but also pathological processes such as metastatic cancer invasion, involve interstitial cell migration. Often, cell movement takes place through small ECM gaps and pores and depends upon the ability of the cell and its stiff nucleus to deform. Such nuclear deformation during cell migration may impact nuclear integrity, such as of chromatin or the nuclear envelope, and therefore the morphometric analysis of nuclear shapes can provide valuable insight into a broad variety of biological processes. Here, we describe a protocol on how to generate a cell-collagen model in vitro and how to use confocal microscopy for the static and dynamic visualization of labeled nuclei in single migratory cells. We developed, and here provide, two scripts that (Fidler, Nat Rev Cancer 3(6):453-458, 2003) enable the semi-automated and fast quantification of static single nuclear shape descriptors, such as aspect ratio or circularity, and the nuclear irregularity index that forms a combination of four distinct shape descriptors, as well as (Frantz et al., J Cell Sci 123 (Pt 24):4195-4200, 2010) a quantification of their changes over time. Finally, we provide quantitative measurements on nuclear shapes from cells that migrated through collagen either in the presence or the absence of an inhibitor of collagen degradation, showing the distinctive power of this approach. This pipeline can also be applied to cell migration studied in different assays, ranging from 3D microfluidics to migration in the living organism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Svoren
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Elena Camerini
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Merijn van Erp
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Feng Wei Yang
- Department of Mathematics, School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, Falmer, UK
| | - Gert-Jan Bakker
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Katarina Wolf
- Department of Cell Biology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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28
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Chen C, Ibrahim Z, Marchand MF, Piolot T, Kamboj S, Carreiras F, Yamada A, Schanne-Klein MC, Chen Y, Lambert A, Aimé C. Three-Dimensional Collagen Topology Shapes Cell Morphology, beyond Stiffness. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2022; 8:5284-5294. [PMID: 36342082 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.2c00879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Cellular heterogeneity is associated with many physiological processes, including pathological ones, such as morphogenesis and tumorigenesis. The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a key player in the generation of cellular heterogeneity. Advances in our understanding rely on our ability to provide relevant in vitro models. This requires obtainment of the characteristics of the tissues that are essential for controlling cell fate. To do this, we must consider the diversity of tissues, the diversity of physiological contexts, and the constant remodeling of the ECM along these processes. To this aim, we have fabricated a library of ECM models for reproducing the scaffold of connective tissues and the basement membrane by using different biofabrication routes based on the electrospinning and drop casting of biopolymers from the ECM. Using a combination of electron microscopy, multiphoton imaging, and AFM nanoindentation, we show that we can vary independently protein composition, topology, and stiffness of ECM models. This in turns allows one to generate the in vivo complexity of the phenotypic landscape of ovarian cancer cells. We show that, while this phenotypic shift cannot be directly correlated with a unique ECM feature, the three-dimensional collagen fibril topology patterns cell shape, beyond protein composition and stiffness of the ECM. On this line, this work is a further step toward the development of ECM models recapitulating the constantly remodeled environment that cells face and thus provides new insights for cancer model engineering and drug testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changchong Chen
- PASTEUR, Département de Chimie, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 24 rue Lhomond, Paris 75005, France
| | - Zeinab Ibrahim
- PASTEUR, Département de Chimie, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 24 rue Lhomond, Paris 75005, France
| | - Marion F Marchand
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, Paris 75231, France
| | - Tristan Piolot
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Biology (CIRB), Collège de France, CNRS, INSERM, PSL Research University, 11 Place Marcelin Berthelot, Paris 75231, France
| | - Sahil Kamboj
- Equipe de Recherche sur les Relations Matrice Extracellulaire-Cellules, ERRMECe, (EA1391), Groupe Matrice Extracellulaire et Physiopathologie (MECuP), Institut des Matériaux, I-MAT (FD4122), CY Cergy Paris Université, Maison Internationale de la Recherche, Rue Descartes, Neuville sur Oise Cedex 95031, France
| | - Franck Carreiras
- Equipe de Recherche sur les Relations Matrice Extracellulaire-Cellules, ERRMECe, (EA1391), Groupe Matrice Extracellulaire et Physiopathologie (MECuP), Institut des Matériaux, I-MAT (FD4122), CY Cergy Paris Université, Maison Internationale de la Recherche, Rue Descartes, Neuville sur Oise Cedex 95031, France
| | - Ayako Yamada
- PASTEUR, Département de Chimie, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 24 rue Lhomond, Paris 75005, France
| | - Marie-Claire Schanne-Klein
- Laboratoire d'Optique et Biosciences (LOB), École Polytechnique, CNRS, INSERM, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Route de Saclay, Palaiseau Cedex 91128, France
| | - Yong Chen
- PASTEUR, Département de Chimie, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 24 rue Lhomond, Paris 75005, France
| | - Ambroise Lambert
- Equipe de Recherche sur les Relations Matrice Extracellulaire-Cellules, ERRMECe, (EA1391), Groupe Matrice Extracellulaire et Physiopathologie (MECuP), Institut des Matériaux, I-MAT (FD4122), CY Cergy Paris Université, Maison Internationale de la Recherche, Rue Descartes, Neuville sur Oise Cedex 95031, France
| | - Carole Aimé
- PASTEUR, Département de Chimie, École Normale Supérieure, PSL University, Sorbonne Université, CNRS, 24 rue Lhomond, Paris 75005, France
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29
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Ameloblastoma modifies tumor microenvironment for enhancing invasiveness by altering collagen alignment. Histochem Cell Biol 2022; 158:595-602. [PMID: 35857110 DOI: 10.1007/s00418-022-02136-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Tumor progression is profoundly affected by crosstalk between cancer cells and their stroma. In the past decades, the development of bioinformatics and the establishment of organoid model systems have allowed extensive investigation of the relationship between tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment (TME). However, the interaction between tumor cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) in odontogenic epithelial neoplasms and the ECM remodeling mechanism remain unclear. In the present study, transcriptomic comparison and histopathologic analysis revealed that TME-related genes were upregulated in ameloblastoma compared to in odontogenic keratocysts. Tumoroid analysis indicated that type I collagen is required for ameloblastoma progression. Furthermore, ameloblastoma shows the capacity to remodel the ECM independently of cancer-associated fibroblasts. In conclusion, ameloblastoma-mediated ECM remodeling contributes to the formation of an invasive collagen architecture during tumor progression.
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30
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Fang Y, Liang S, Gao J, Wang Z, Li C, Wang R, Yu W. Extracellular matrix stiffness mediates radiosensitivity in a 3D nasopharyngeal carcinoma model. Cancer Cell Int 2022; 22:364. [PMCID: PMC9675143 DOI: 10.1186/s12935-022-02787-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Radiotherapy is one of the essential treatment modalities for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), however, radioresistance still poses challenges. Three-dimensional (3D) tumor culture models mimic the in vivo growth conditions of cells more accurately than 2D models. This study is to compare the tumor biological behaviors of NPC cells in 2D, On-Surface 3D and Embedded 3D systems, and to investigate the correlation between radioresistance and extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness. Methods The morphology and radioresistance of the human NPC cell line CNE-1 were observed in 2D and 3D systems. The CCK-8 assay, wounding healing assays, flow cytometry, soft agar assays, and western blot analysis were used to evaluate differences in biological behaviors such as proliferation, migration, cell cycle distribution, and stem cell activity. Different ECM stiffness systems were established by co-blending collagen and alginate in varying proportions. ECM stiffness was evaluated by compressive elastic moduli measurement and colony formation assay was used to assess radioresistance of NPC cells in systems with different ECM stiffness after irradiation. Results Compared to 2D models, the morphology of NPC cells in 3D culture microenvironments has more in common with in vivo tumor cells and 3D cultured NPC cells exhibit stronger radioresistance. Integrin β1 but not the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition pathway in 3D models boost migration ability. Cell proliferation was enhanced, the proportion of tumor stem cells was increased, and G1/S phase arrest occurred in 3D models. NPC cells cultured in softer ECM systems (with low alginate proportions) exhibit striking resistance to ionizing radiation. Conclusion The tumor biological behaviors of NPC cells in 3D groups were obviously different from that of 2D. Radioresistance of NPC cells increased with the stiffness of ECM decreasing. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12935-022-02787-5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanhua Fang
- grid.459353.d0000 0004 1800 3285The Key Laboratory of biomarker high throughput screening and target translation of breast and gastrointestinal tumor, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, No.6 Jiefang Street, Zhongshan District, Dalian, 116001 Liaoning China
| | - Shanshan Liang
- grid.459353.d0000 0004 1800 3285The Key Laboratory of biomarker high throughput screening and target translation of breast and gastrointestinal tumor, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, No.6 Jiefang Street, Zhongshan District, Dalian, 116001 Liaoning China
| | - Jianong Gao
- Outpatient Department, General Hospital of Northern Theater Command, No.83 Culture Road, Shenhe District, Shengyang, 110015 Liaoning China
| | - Zhe Wang
- grid.459353.d0000 0004 1800 3285Oncology Department, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, No.6 Jiefang Street, Zhongshan District, Dalian, 116001 Liaoning China
| | - Cheng Li
- grid.459353.d0000 0004 1800 3285The Key Laboratory of biomarker high throughput screening and target translation of breast and gastrointestinal tumor, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, No.6 Jiefang Street, Zhongshan District, Dalian, 116001 Liaoning China
| | - Ruoyu Wang
- grid.459353.d0000 0004 1800 3285The Key Laboratory of biomarker high throughput screening and target translation of breast and gastrointestinal tumor, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, No.6 Jiefang Street, Zhongshan District, Dalian, 116001 Liaoning China ,grid.459353.d0000 0004 1800 3285Oncology Department, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, No.6 Jiefang Street, Zhongshan District, Dalian, 116001 Liaoning China
| | - Weiting Yu
- grid.459353.d0000 0004 1800 3285The Key Laboratory of biomarker high throughput screening and target translation of breast and gastrointestinal tumor, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, No.6 Jiefang Street, Zhongshan District, Dalian, 116001 Liaoning China ,grid.284723.80000 0000 8877 7471Affiliated Zhujiang Hospistal of Southern Medical University, Zhongshan Hospital of Dalian University, 253 Industrial Avenue, 510280 Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China
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31
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Associated changes in stiffness of collagen scaffolds during osteoblast mineralisation and bone formation. BMC Res Notes 2022; 15:310. [PMID: 36153566 PMCID: PMC9509582 DOI: 10.1186/s13104-022-06203-z] [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: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Engineering bone in 3D is important for both regenerative medicine purposes and for the development of accurate in vitro models of bone tissue. The changing material stiffness of bone tissue had not yet been monitored throughout the process of mineralisation and bone nodule formation by osteoblasts either during in vitro engineering or in development perspective. Results Within this short research note, stiffness changes (Young’s modulus) during in vitro bone formation by primary osteoblasts in dense collagen scaffolds were monitored using atomic force microscopy. Data analysis revealed significant stiffening of 3D bone cultures at day 5 and 8 that was correlated with the onset of mineral deposition (p < 0.00005).
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32
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Bera K, Kiepas A, Zhang Y, Sun SX, Konstantopoulos K. The interplay between physical cues and mechanosensitive ion channels in cancer metastasis. Front Cell Dev Biol 2022; 10:954099. [PMID: 36158191 PMCID: PMC9490090 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2022.954099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Physical cues have emerged as critical influencers of cell function during physiological processes, like development and organogenesis, and throughout pathological abnormalities, including cancer progression and fibrosis. While ion channels have been implicated in maintaining cellular homeostasis, their cell surface localization often places them among the first few molecules to sense external cues. Mechanosensitive ion channels (MICs) are especially important transducers of physical stimuli into biochemical signals. In this review, we describe how physical cues in the tumor microenvironment are sensed by MICs and contribute to cancer metastasis. First, we highlight mechanical perturbations, by both solid and fluid surroundings typically found in the tumor microenvironment and during critical stages of cancer cell dissemination from the primary tumor. Next, we describe how Piezo1/2 and transient receptor potential (TRP) channels respond to these physical cues to regulate cancer cell behavior during different stages of metastasis. We conclude by proposing alternative mechanisms of MIC activation that work in tandem with cytoskeletal components and other ion channels to bestow cells with the capacity to sense, respond and navigate through the surrounding microenvironment. Collectively, this review provides a perspective for devising treatment strategies against cancer by targeting MICs that sense aberrant physical characteristics during metastasis, the most lethal aspect of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaustav Bera
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Alexander Kiepas
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Alexander Kiepas, ; Konstantinos Konstantopoulos,
| | - Yuqi Zhang
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Sean X. Sun
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Konstantinos Konstantopoulos
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Alexander Kiepas, ; Konstantinos Konstantopoulos,
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Increased Stiffness Downregulates Focal Adhesion Kinase Expression in Pancreatic Cancer Cells Cultured in 3D Self-Assembling Peptide Scaffolds. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10081835. [PMID: 36009384 PMCID: PMC9405295 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase that participates in integrin-mediated signal transduction and contributes to different biological processes, such as cell migration, survival, proliferation and angiogenesis. Moreover, FAK can be activated by autophosphorylation at position Y397 and trigger different signaling pathways in response to increased extracellular matrix stiffness. In addition, FAK is overexpressed and/or hyperactivated in many epithelial cancers, and its expression correlates with tumor malignancy and invasion potential. One of the characteristics of solid tumors is an over deposition of ECM components, which generates a stiff microenvironment that promotes, among other features, sustained cell proliferation and survival. Researchers are, therefore, increasingly developing cell culture models to mimic the increased stiffness associated with these kinds of tumors. In the present work, we have developed a new 3D in vitro model to study the effect of matrix stiffness in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) cells as this kind of tumor is characterized by a desmoplastic stroma and an increased stiffness compared to its normal counterpart. For that, we have used a synthetic self-assembling peptide nanofiber matrix, RAD16-I, which does not suffer a significant degradation in vitro, thus allowing to maintain the same local stiffness along culture time. We show that increased matrix stiffness in synthetic 3D RAD16-I gels, but not in collagen type I scaffolds, promotes FAK downregulation at a protein level in all the cell lines analyzed. Moreover, even though it has classically been described that stiff 3D matrices promote an increase in pFAKY397/FAK proteins, we found that this ratio in soft and stiff RAD16-I gels is cell-type-dependent. This study highlights how cell response to increased matrix stiffness greatly depends on the nature of the matrix used for 3D culture.
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34
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Identification of Prognostic Genes in Gliomas Based on Increased Microenvironment Stiffness. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14153659. [PMID: 35954323 PMCID: PMC9367320 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14153659] [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: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
With a median survival time of 15 months, glioblastoma multiforme is one of the most aggressive primary brain cancers. The crucial roles played by the extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness in glioma progression and treatment resistance have been reported in numerous studies. However, the association between ECM-stiffness-regulated genes and the prognosis of glioma patients remains to be explored. Thus, using bioinformatics analysis, we first identified 180 stiffness-dependent genes from an RNA-Seq dataset, and then evaluated their prognosis in The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) glioma dataset. Our results showed that 11 stiffness-dependent genes common between low- and high-grade gliomas were prognostic. After validation using the Chinese Glioma Genome Atlas (CGGA) database, we further identified four stiffness-dependent prognostic genes: FN1, ITGA5, OSMR, and NGFR. In addition to high-grade glioma, overexpression of the four-gene signature also showed poor prognosis in low-grade glioma patients. Moreover, our analysis confirmed that the expression levels of stiffness-dependent prognostic genes in high-grade glioma were significantly higher than in low-grade glioma, suggesting that these genes were associated with glioma progression. Based on a pathophysiology-inspired approach, our findings illuminate the link between ECM stiffness and the prognosis of glioma patients and suggest a signature of four stiffness-dependent genes as potential therapeutic targets.
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Akolawala Q, Rovituso M, Versteeg HH, Rondon AMR, Accardo A. Evaluation of Proton-Induced DNA Damage in 3D-Engineered Glioblastoma Microenvironments. ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES 2022; 14:20778-20789. [PMID: 35442634 PMCID: PMC9100514 DOI: 10.1021/acsami.2c03706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) is a devastating cancer of the brain with an extremely poor prognosis. For this reason, besides clinical and preclinical studies, novel in vitro models for the assessment of cancer response to drugs and radiation are being developed. In such context, three-dimensional (3D)-engineered cellular microenvironments, compared to unrealistic two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cell culture, provide a model closer to the in vivo configuration. Concerning cancer treatment, while X-ray radiotherapy and chemotherapy remain the current standard, proton beam therapy is an appealing alternative as protons can be efficiently targeted to destroy cancer cells while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue. However, despite the treatment's compelling biological and medical rationale, little is known about the effects of protons on GBM at the cellular level. In this work, we designed novel 3D-engineered scaffolds inspired by the geometry of brain blood vessels, which cover a vital role in the colonization mechanisms of GBM cells. The architectures were fabricated by two-photon polymerization (2PP), cultured with U-251 GBM cells and integrated for the first time in the context of proton radiation experiments to assess their response to treatment. We employed Gamma H2A.X as a fluorescent biomarker to identify the DNA damage induced in the cells by proton beams. The results show a higher DNA double-strand breakage in 2D cell monolayers as compared to cells cultured in 3D. The discrepancy in terms of proton radiation response could indicate a difference in the radioresistance of the GBM cells or in the rate of repair kinetics between 2D cell monolayers and 3D cell networks. Thus, these biomimetic-engineered 3D scaffolds pave the way for the realization of a benchmark tool that can be used to routinely assess the effects of proton therapy on 3D GBM cell networks and other types of cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qais Akolawala
- Department
of Precision and Microsystems Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 2, 2628
CD Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Marta Rovituso
- Holland
Proton Therapy Center (HollandPTC), Huismansingel 4, 2629 JH Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Henri H. Versteeg
- Einthoven
Laboratory for Vascular and Regenerative Medicine, Division of Thrombosis
and Hemostasis, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Araci M. R. Rondon
- Einthoven
Laboratory for Vascular and Regenerative Medicine, Division of Thrombosis
and Hemostasis, Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Angelo Accardo
- Department
of Precision and Microsystems Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Mekelweg 2, 2628
CD Delft, The Netherlands
- . Tel: +31 (0)15 27 81610
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36
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Modeling the Role of Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in Tumor Cell Invasion. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14040962. [PMID: 35205707 PMCID: PMC8870277 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14040962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Accurate in vitro modeling of diseases is essential to making breakthrough and clinically relevant discoveries. Assays to examine the process of invasion—a classical hallmark of cancer—have evolved over the years to overcome shortfalls in their design and accommodate new knowledge in the field, such as the role of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in propagating this process. The goals of this review are two-fold: To walk through the tried-and-true plus novel and new invasion assays currently used in cancer research with a focus on those incorporating cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and to be a resource for researchers to find the correct invasion assays that suit their own unique needs and biological questions. Abstract The major cause of cancer-related deaths can be attributed to the metastatic spread of tumor cells—a dynamic and complex multi-step process beginning with tumor cells acquiring an invasive phenotype to allow them to travel through the blood and lymphatic vessels to ultimately seed at a secondary site. Over the years, various in vitro models have been used to characterize specific steps in the cascade to collectively begin providing a clearer picture of the puzzle of metastasis. With the discovery of the TME’s supporting role in activating tumor cell invasion and metastasis, these models have evolved in parallel to accommodate features of the TME and to observe its interactions with tumor cells. In particular, CAFs that reside in reactive tumor stroma have been shown to play a substantial pro-invasive role through their matrix-modifying functions; accordingly, this warranted further investigation with the development and use of invasion assays that could include these stromal cells. This review explores the growing toolbox of assays used to study tumor cell invasion, from the simple beginnings of a tumor cell and extracellular matrix set-up to the advent of models that aim to more closely recapitulate the interplay between tumor cells, CAFs and the extracellular matrix. These models will prove to be invaluable tools to help tease out the intricacies of tumor cell invasion.
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37
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Esteki MH, Malandrino A, Alemrajabi AA, Sheridan GK, Charras G, Moeendarbary E. Poroelastic osmoregulation of living cell volume. iScience 2021; 24:103482. [PMID: 34927026 PMCID: PMC8649806 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103482] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2021] [Revised: 08/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Cells maintain their volume through fine intracellular osmolarity regulation. Osmotic challenges drive fluid into or out of cells causing swelling or shrinkage, respectively. The dynamics of cell volume changes depending on the rheology of the cellular constituents and on how fast the fluid permeates through the membrane and cytoplasm. We investigated whether and how poroelasticity can describe volume dynamics in response to osmotic shocks. We exposed cells to osmotic perturbations and used defocusing epifluorescence microscopy on membrane-attached fluorescent nanospheres to track volume dynamics with high spatiotemporal resolution. We found that a poroelastic model that considers both geometrical and pressurization rates captures fluid-cytoskeleton interactions, which are rate-limiting factors in controlling volume changes at short timescales. Linking cellular responses to osmotic shocks and cell mechanics through poroelasticity can predict the cell state in health, disease, or in response to novel therapeutics. Cell height changes can be finely captured by defocusing microscopy Water permeation and cellular deformability regulate dynamics of cell volume changes Poroelasticity describes the dynamics of cell volume changes The response of cell to hypo or hyperosmotic shocks are modeled by poroelasticity
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hadi Esteki
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran.,Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Andrea Malandrino
- Biomaterials, Biomechanics and Tissue Engineering Group, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ali Akbar Alemrajabi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Graham K Sheridan
- School of Life Sciences, Queens Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Guillaume Charras
- London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, UK.,Institute for the Physics of Living Systems, University College London, London, UK
| | - Emad Moeendarbary
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London, UK.,Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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38
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Javanmardi Y, Colin-York H, Szita N, Fritzsche M, Moeendarbary E. Quantifying cell-generated forces: Poisson's ratio matters. COMMUNICATIONS PHYSICS 2021; 4:237. [PMID: 34841089 PMCID: PMC7612038 DOI: 10.1038/s42005-021-00740-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Quantifying mechanical forces generated by cellular systems has led to key insights into a broad range of biological phenomena from cell adhesion to immune cell activation. Traction force microscopy (TFM), the most widely employed force measurement methodology, fundamentally relies on knowledge of the force-displacement relationship and mechanical properties of the substrate. Together with the elastic modulus, the Poisson's ratio is a basic material property that to date has largely been overlooked in TFM. Here, we evaluate the sensitivity of TFM to Poisson's ratio by employing a series of computer simulations and experimental data analysis. We demonstrate how applying the correct Poisson's ratio is important for accurate force reconstruction and develop a framework for the determination of error levels resulting from the misestimation of the Poisson's ratio. In addition, we provide experimental estimation of the Poisson's ratios of elastic substrates commonly applied in TFM. Our work thus highlights the role of Poisson's ratio underpinning cellular force quantification studied across many biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yousef Javanmardi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, UK
| | - Huw Colin-York
- Kennedy Institute for Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7LF, UK
| | - Nicolas Szita
- Department of Biochemical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Marco Fritzsche
- Kennedy Institute for Rheumatology, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford OX3 7LF, UK
- Rosalind Franklin Institute, Harwell Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, UK
| | - Emad Moeendarbary
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, UK
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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