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Cambria E, Coughlin MF, Floryan MA, Offeddu GS, Shelton SE, Kamm RD. Linking cell mechanical memory and cancer metastasis. Nat Rev Cancer 2024; 24:216-228. [PMID: 38238471 PMCID: PMC11146605 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-023-00656-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
Metastasis causes most cancer-related deaths; however, the efficacy of anti-metastatic drugs is limited by incomplete understanding of the biological mechanisms that drive metastasis. Focusing on the mechanics of metastasis, we propose that the ability of tumour cells to survive the metastatic process is enhanced by mechanical stresses in the primary tumour microenvironment that select for well-adapted cells. In this Perspective, we suggest that biophysical adaptations favourable for metastasis are retained via mechanical memory, such that the extent of memory is influenced by both the magnitude and duration of the mechanical stress. Among the mechanical cues present in the primary tumour microenvironment, we focus on high matrix stiffness to illustrate how it alters tumour cell proliferation, survival, secretion of molecular factors, force generation, deformability, migration and invasion. We particularly centre our discussion on potential mechanisms of mechanical memory formation and retention via mechanotransduction and persistent epigenetic changes. Indeed, we propose that the biophysical adaptations that are induced by this process are retained throughout the metastatic process to improve tumour cell extravasation, survival and colonization in the distant organ. Deciphering mechanical memory mechanisms will be key to discovering a new class of anti-metastatic drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Cambria
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Mark F Coughlin
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Marie A Floryan
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Giovanni S Offeddu
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Sarah E Shelton
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Roger D Kamm
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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2
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Lee YL, Mathur J, Walter C, Zmuda H, Pathak A. Matrix obstructions cause multiscale disruption in collective epithelial migration by suppressing leader cell function. Mol Biol Cell 2023; 34:ar94. [PMID: 37379202 PMCID: PMC10398892 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-06-0226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
During disease and development, physical changes in extracellular matrix cause jamming, unjamming, and scattering in epithelial migration. However, whether disruptions in matrix topology alter collective cell migration speed and cell-cell coordination remains unclear. We microfabricated substrates with stumps of defined geometry, density, and orientation, which create obstructions for migrating epithelial cells. Here, we show that cells lose their speed and directionality when moving through densely spaced obstructions. Although leader cells are stiffer than follower cells on flat substrates, dense obstructions cause overall cell softening. Through a lattice-based model, we identify cellular protrusions, cell-cell adhesions, and leader-follower communication as key mechanisms for obstruction-sensitive collective cell migration. Our modeling predictions and experimental validations show that cells' obstruction sensitivity requires an optimal balance of cell-cell adhesions and protrusions. Both MDCK (more cohesive) and α-catenin-depleted MCF10A cells were less obstruction sensitive than wild-type MCF10A cells. Together, microscale softening, mesoscale disorder, and macroscale multicellular communication enable epithelial cell populations to sense topological obstructions encountered in challenging environments. Thus, obstruction-sensitivity could define "mechanotype" of cells that collectively migrate yet maintain intercellular communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Lim Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Jairaj Mathur
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Christopher Walter
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Hannah Zmuda
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Amit Pathak
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO 63130
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3
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Wang W, Taufalele PV, Millet M, Homsy K, Smart K, Berestesky ED, Schunk CT, Rowe MM, Bordeleau F, Reinhart-King CA. Matrix stiffness regulates tumor cell intravasation through expression and ESRP1-mediated alternative splicing of MENA. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112338. [PMID: 37027295 PMCID: PMC10551051 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2022] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
During intravasation, cancer cells cross the endothelial barrier and enter the circulation. Extracellular matrix stiffening has been correlated with tumor metastatic potential; however, little is known about the effects of matrix stiffness on intravasation. Here, we utilize in vitro systems, a mouse model, specimens from patients with breast cancer, and RNA expression profiles from The Cancer Genome Atlas Program (TCGA) to investigate the molecular mechanism by which matrix stiffening promotes tumor cell intravasation. Our data show that heightened matrix stiffness increases MENA expression, which promotes contractility and intravasation through focal adhesion kinase activity. Further, matrix stiffening decreases epithelial splicing regulatory protein 1 (ESRP1) expression, which triggers alternative splicing of MENA, decreases the expression of MENA11a, and enhances contractility and intravasation. Altogether, our data indicate that matrix stiffness regulates tumor cell intravasation through enhanced expression and ESRP1-mediated alternative splicing of MENA, providing a mechanism by which matrix stiffness regulates tumor cell intravasation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjun Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Paul V Taufalele
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Martial Millet
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Oncology Division), Québec, QC G1R 3S3, Canada; CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Oncology Division), Québec, QC G1R 3S3, Canada
| | - Kevin Homsy
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Oncology Division), Québec, QC G1R 3S3, Canada; CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Oncology Division), Québec, QC G1R 3S3, Canada
| | - Kyra Smart
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Emily D Berestesky
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Curtis T Schunk
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Matthew M Rowe
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Francois Bordeleau
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Oncology Division), Québec, QC G1R 3S3, Canada; CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Oncology Division), Québec, QC G1R 3S3, Canada; Département de biologie moléculaire, de biochimie médicale et de pathologie, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada.
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4
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Lin WJ, Pathak A. Transitions in density, pressure, and effective temperature drive collective cell migration into confining environments. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.04.10.536258. [PMID: 37090663 PMCID: PMC10120636 DOI: 10.1101/2023.04.10.536258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
Epithelial cell collectives migrate through tissue interfaces and crevices to orchestrate processes of development, tumor invasion, and wound healing. Naturally, traversal of cell collective through confining environments involves crowding due to the narrowing space, which seems tenuous given the conventional inverse relationship between cell density and migration. However, physical transitions required to overcome such epithelial densification for migration across confinements remain unclear. Here, in contiguous microchannels, we show that epithelial (MCF10A) monolayers accumulate higher cell density before entering narrower channels; however, overexpression of breast cancer oncogene +ErbB2 reduced this need for density accumulation across confinement. While wildtype MCF10A cells migrated faster in narrow channels, this confinement sensitivity reduced after +ErbB2 mutation or with constitutively-active RhoA. The migrating collective developed pressure differentials upon encountering microchannels, like fluid flow into narrowing spaces, and this pressure dropped with their continued migration. These transitions of pressure and density altered cell shapes and increased effective temperature, estimated by treating cells as granular thermodynamic system. While +RhoA cells and those in confined regions were effectively warmer, cancer-like +ErbB2 cells remained cooler. Epithelial reinforcement by metformin treatment increased density and temperature differentials across confinement, indicating that higher cell cohesion could reduce unjamming. Our results provide experimental evidence for previously proposed theories of inverse relationship between density and motility-related effective temperature. Indeed, we show across cell lines that confinement increases pressure and effective temperature, which enable migration by reducing density. This physical interpretation of collective cell migration as granular matter could advance our understanding of complex living systems.
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Wang W, Hapach LA, Griggs L, Smart K, Wu Y, Taufalele PV, Rowe MM, Young KM, Bates ME, Johnson AC, Ferrell NJ, Pozzi A, Reinhart-King CA. Diabetic hyperglycemia promotes primary tumor progression through glycation-induced tumor extracellular matrix stiffening. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabo1673. [PMID: 36399580 PMCID: PMC9674287 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abo1673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus is a complex metabolic disorder that is associated with an increased risk of breast cancer. Despite this correlation, the interplay between tumor progression and diabetes, particularly with regard to stiffening of the extracellular matrix, is still mechanistically unclear. Here, we established a murine model where hyperglycemia was induced before breast tumor development. Using the murine model, in vitro systems, and patient samples, we show that hyperglycemia increases tumor growth, extracellular matrix stiffness, glycation, and epithelial-mesenchymal transition of tumor cells. Upon inhibition of glycation or mechanotransduction in diabetic mice, these same metrics are reduced to levels comparable with nondiabetic tumors. Together, our study describes a novel biomechanical mechanism by which diabetic hyperglycemia promotes breast tumor progression via glycating the extracellular matrix. In addition, our work provides evidence that glycation inhibition is a potential adjuvant therapy for diabetic cancer patients due to the key role of matrix stiffening in both diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenjun Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Lauren A. Hapach
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | - Lauren Griggs
- College of Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA 16802, USA
| | - Kyra Smart
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Yusheng Wu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Paul V. Taufalele
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Matthew M. Rowe
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Katherine M. Young
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Madison E. Bates
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Andrew C. Johnson
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
| | - Nicholas J. Ferrell
- Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Nephrology, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Ambra Pozzi
- Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
- Veterans Affairs Hospitals, Nashville, TN 37684, USA
| | - Cynthia A. Reinhart-King
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
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6
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Afthinos A, Bera K, Chen J, Ozcelikkale A, Amitrano A, Choudhury MI, Huang R, Pachidis P, Mistriotis P, Chen Y, Konstantopoulos K. Migration and 3D Traction Force Measurements inside Compliant Microchannels. NANO LETTERS 2022; 22:7318-7327. [PMID: 36112517 PMCID: PMC9872269 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c01261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Cells migrate in vivo through channel-like tracks. While polydimethylsiloxane devices emulate such tracks in vitro, their channel walls are impermeable and have supraphysiological stiffness. Existing hydrogel-based platforms address these issues but cannot provide high-throughput analysis of cell motility in independently controllable stiffness and confinement. We herein develop polyacrylamide (PA)-based microchannels of physiological stiffness and prescribed dimensions for high-throughput analysis of cell migration and identify a biphasic dependence of speed upon confinement and stiffness. By utilizing novel four-walled microchannels with heterogeneous stiffness, we reveal the distinct contributions of apicolateral versus basal microchannel wall stiffness to confined versus unconfined migration. While the basal wall stiffness dictates unconfined migration, apicolateral stiffness controls confined migration. By tracking nanobeads embedded within channel walls, we innovate three-dimensional traction force measurements around spatially confining cells at subcellular resolution. Our unique and highly customizable device fabrication strategy provides a physiologically relevant in vitro platform to study confined cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandros Afthinos
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
| | - Kaustav Bera
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
| | - Junjie Chen
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
- Center for Cell Dynamics, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21205, USA
| | - Altug Ozcelikkale
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Middle East Technical University, 06531 Ankara, Turkey
| | - Alice Amitrano
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
| | - Mohammad Ikbal Choudhury
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
| | - Randy Huang
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
- Center for Cell Dynamics, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21205, USA
| | - Pavlos Pachidis
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
| | - Panagiotis Mistriotis
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn AL, 36849, USA
| | - Yun Chen
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
- Center for Cell Dynamics, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21205, USA
| | - Konstantinos Konstantopoulos
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore MD, 21218, USA
- Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore MD, 21205, USA
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7
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Flick Jaecker F, Almeida JA, Krull CM, Pathak A. Nucleoli in epithelial cell collectives respond to tumorigenic, spatial, and mechanical cues. Mol Biol Cell 2022; 33:br19. [PMID: 35830599 PMCID: PMC9582805 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e22-02-0070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells are known to have larger nucleoli, consistent with their higher transcriptional and translational demands. Meanwhile, on stiff extracellular matrix, normal epithelial cells can exhibit genomic and proteomic mechanoactivation toward tumorigenic transformations, such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition and enhanced migration. However, while nucleolar bodies regulate the protein synthesis required for mechanosensation, it remains unknown whether mechanical and spatial extracellular cues can in turn alter nucleoli. Here, we culture mammary epithelial cell sheets on matrices of varying stiffness and show that cancer cells have more nucleoli, with nucleoli occupying larger areas compared with normal cells. By contrast, within normal epithelial sheets, stiffer matrices and leader positioning of cells induce larger nucleolar areas and more nucleolar bodies over time. The observed leader-follower nucleolar differences stem from distinct rates of cell cycle progression. In the nucleoplasm, leader cells on stiffer matrices exhibit higher heterochromatin marker expression and DNA compaction around nucleolar bodies. Overall, our findings advance the emerging framework of cellular mechanobiology in which mechanical cues from the extracellular matrix transmit into the nucleoplasm to alter nucleolar composition, potentially resulting in mechanosensitive ribosomal biogenesis. Ultimately, this proposed mechanosensitivity of nucleoli and associated protein synthesis could have wide implications in disease, development, and regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - José A Almeida
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Carly M Krull
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130
| | - Amit Pathak
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science and.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63130
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Millet M, Bollmann E, Ringuette Goulet C, Bernard G, Chabaud S, Huot MÉ, Pouliot F, Bolduc S, Bordeleau F. Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts in a 3D Engineered Tissue Model Induce Tumor-like Matrix Stiffening and EMT Transition. Cancers (Basel) 2022; 14:cancers14153810. [PMID: 35954473 PMCID: PMC9367573 DOI: 10.3390/cancers14153810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 07/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The physical properties of a tumor, such as stiffness, are important drivers of tumor progression. However, current in vitro tumor models fail to recapitulate the full range of physical properties observed in solid tumors. Here, we proposed a 3D self-assembly engineered bladder model using cancer-associated fibroblasts in which stromal cells produce their extracellular matrix. We then proceeded to assess how our model recapitulates biological and mechanical features found in tumors. We confirmed that stroma assembled by cancer-associated fibroblasts have increased extracellular matrix content and display increased remodeling and higher stiffness. Moreover, normal urothelial cells seeded on the tumor model displayed a mechanotransduction response, increased cell proliferation, cell infiltration within stroma, and displayed features of the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Altogether, we demonstrated that our cancer-associated fibroblast-derived tumor stroma recapitulates several biological and physical features expected from a tumor-like environment and, thus, provides the basis for more accurate cancer models. Abstract A tumor microenvironment is characterized by its altered mechanical properties. However, most models remain unable to faithfully recreate the mechanical properties of a tumor. Engineered models based on the self-assembly method have the potential to better recapitulate the stroma architecture and composition. Here, we used the self-assembly method based on a bladder tissue model to engineer a tumor-like environment. The tissue-engineered tumor models were reconstituted from stroma-derived healthy primary fibroblasts (HFs) induced into cancer-associated fibroblast cells (iCAFs) along with an urothelium overlay. The iCAFs-derived extracellular matrix (ECM) composition was found to be stiffer, with increased ECM deposition and remodeling. The urothelial cells overlaid on the iCAFs-derived ECM were more contractile, as measured by quantitative polarization microscopy, and displayed increased YAP nuclear translocation. We further showed that the proliferation and expression of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) marker in the urothelial cells correlate with the increased stiffness of the iCAFs-derived ECM. Our data showed an increased expression of EMT markers within the urothelium on the iCAFs-derived ECM. Together, our results demonstrate that our tissue-engineered tumor model can achieve stiffness levels comparable to that of a bladder tumor, while triggering a tumor-like response from the urothelium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martial Millet
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Oncology Division) and Université Laval Cancer Research Center, Quebec City, QC G1R 3S3, Canada
| | - Enola Bollmann
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Oncology Division) and Université Laval Cancer Research Center, Quebec City, QC G1R 3S3, Canada
| | - Cassandra Ringuette Goulet
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Oncology Division) and Université Laval Cancer Research Center, Quebec City, QC G1R 3S3, Canada
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Regenerative Medicine Division), Quebec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Organogénèse Expérimentale/LOEX, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1J 1Z4, Canada
| | - Geneviève Bernard
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Regenerative Medicine Division), Quebec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Organogénèse Expérimentale/LOEX, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1J 1Z4, Canada
| | - Stéphane Chabaud
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Regenerative Medicine Division), Quebec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Organogénèse Expérimentale/LOEX, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1J 1Z4, Canada
| | - Marc-Étienne Huot
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Oncology Division) and Université Laval Cancer Research Center, Quebec City, QC G1R 3S3, Canada
- Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Biochemistry and Pathology, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Frédéric Pouliot
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Oncology Division) and Université Laval Cancer Research Center, Quebec City, QC G1R 3S3, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - Stéphane Bolduc
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Regenerative Medicine Division), Quebec City, QC G1V 4G2, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Organogénèse Expérimentale/LOEX, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1J 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Surgery, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
| | - François Bordeleau
- CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center (Oncology Division) and Université Laval Cancer Research Center, Quebec City, QC G1R 3S3, Canada
- Centre de Recherche en Organogénèse Expérimentale/LOEX, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1J 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Molecular Biology, Medical Biochemistry and Pathology, Université Laval, Quebec City, QC G1V 0A6, Canada
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-418-525-4444 (ext. 15554)
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9
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Beeghly GF, Amofa KY, Fischbach C, Kumar S. Regulation of Tumor Invasion by the Physical Microenvironment: Lessons from Breast and Brain Cancer. Annu Rev Biomed Eng 2022; 24:29-59. [PMID: 35119915 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-bioeng-110220-115419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The success of anticancer therapies is often limited by heterogeneity within and between tumors. While much attention has been devoted to understanding the intrinsic molecular diversity of tumor cells, the surrounding tissue microenvironment is also highly complex and coevolves with tumor cells to drive clinical outcomes. Here, we propose that diverse types of solid tumors share common physical motifs that change in time and space, serving as universal regulators of malignancy. We use breast cancer and glioblastoma as instructive examples and highlight how invasion in both diseases is driven by the appropriation of structural guidance cues, contact-dependent heterotypic interactions with stromal cells, and elevated interstitial fluid pressure and flow. We discuss how engineering strategies show increasing value for measuring and modeling these physical properties for mechanistic studies. Moreover, engineered systems offer great promise for developing and testing novel therapies that improve patient prognosis by normalizing the physical tumor microenvironment. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering, Volume 24 is June 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garrett F Beeghly
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA;
| | - Kwasi Y Amofa
- University of California, Berkeley-University of California, San Francisco Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Berkeley, California, USA; .,Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Claudia Fischbach
- Nancy E. and Peter C. Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA; .,Kavli Institute at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA
| | - Sanjay Kumar
- University of California, Berkeley-University of California, San Francisco Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Berkeley, California, USA; .,Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.,Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.,Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
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10
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Micek HM, Visetsouk MR, Masters KS, Kreeger PK. Engineering the Extracellular Matrix to Model the Evolving Tumor Microenvironment. iScience 2020; 23:101742. [PMID: 33225247 PMCID: PMC7666341 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2020.101742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical evidence supports a role for the extracellular matrix (ECM) in cancer risk and prognosis across multiple tumor types, and numerous studies have demonstrated that individual ECM components impact key hallmarks of tumor progression (e.g., proliferation, migration, angiogenesis). However, the ECM is a complex network of fibrillar proteins, glycoproteins, and proteoglycans that undergoes dramatic changes in composition and organization during tumor development. In this review, we will highlight how engineering approaches can be used to examine the impact of changes in tissue architecture, ECM composition (i.e., identity and levels of individual ECM components), and cellular- and tissue-level mechanics on tumor progression. In addition, we will discuss recently developed methods to model the ECM that have not yet been applied to the study of cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah M. Micek
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Mike R. Visetsouk
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Kristyn S. Masters
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
- University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Pamela K. Kreeger
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53705, USA
- University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI 53705, USA
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11
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Zhang Y, Huang Z, Dong S, Liu Z, Liu Y, Tang L, Cheng T, Zhou X. Evaluation of Cell's Passability in the ECM Network. Biophys J 2020; 119:1056-1064. [PMID: 32891186 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2020.07.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The microstructure of the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a key role in affecting cell migration, especially nonproteolytic migration. It is difficult, however, to measure some properties of the ECM, such as stiffness and the passability for cell migration. On the basis of a network model of collagen fiber in the ECM, which has been well applied to simulate mechanical behaviors such as the stress-strain relationship, damage, and failure, we proposed a series of methods to study the microstructural properties containing pore size and pore stiffness and to search for the possible migration paths for cells. Finally, with a given criterion, we quantitatively evaluated the passability of the ECM network for cell migration. The fiber network model with a microstructure and the analysis method presented in this study further our understanding of and ability to evaluate the properties of an ECM network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongrou Zhang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Modern Control Technology, Guangdong Institute of Intelligent Manufacturing, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zetao Huang
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Shoubin Dong
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zejia Liu
- School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yiping Liu
- School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Liqun Tang
- School of Civil Engineering and Transportation, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China; State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Building Science, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Taobo Cheng
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Modern Control Technology, Guangdong Institute of Intelligent Manufacturing, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Xuefeng Zhou
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Modern Control Technology, Guangdong Institute of Intelligent Manufacturing, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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12
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Kim JH, Pegoraro AF, Das A, Koehler SA, Ujwary SA, Lan B, Mitchel JA, Atia L, He S, Wang K, Bi D, Zaman MH, Park JA, Butler JP, Lee KH, Starr JR, Fredberg JJ. Unjamming and collective migration in MCF10A breast cancer cell lines. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2020; 521:706-715. [PMID: 31699371 PMCID: PMC6937379 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2019.10.188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 10/28/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Each cell comprising an intact, healthy, confluent epithelial layer ordinarily remains sedentary, firmly adherent to and caged by its neighbors, and thus defines an elemental constituent of a solid-like cellular collective [1,2]. After malignant transformation, however, the cellular collective can become fluid-like and migratory, as evidenced by collective motions that arise in characteristic swirls, strands, ducts, sheets, or clusters [3,4]. To transition from a solid-like to a fluid-like phase and thereafter to migrate collectively, it has been recently argued that cells comprising the disordered but confluent epithelial collective can undergo changes of cell shape so as to overcome geometric constraints attributable to the newly discovered phenomenon of cell jamming and the associated unjamming transition (UJT) [1,2,5-9]. Relevance of the jamming concept to carcinoma cells lines of graded degrees of invasive potential has never been investigated, however. Using classical in vitro cultures of six breast cancer model systems, here we investigate structural and dynamical signatures of cell jamming, and the relationship between them [1,2,10,11]. In order of roughly increasing invasive potential as previously reported, model systems examined included MCF10A, MCF10A.Vector; MCF10A.14-3-3ζ; MCF10.ErbB2, MCF10AT; and MCF10CA1a [12-15]. Migratory speed depended on the particular cell line. Unsurprisingly, for example, the MCF10CA1a cell line exhibited much faster migratory speed relative to the others. But unexpectedly, across different cell lines higher speeds were associated with enhanced size of cooperative cell packs in a manner reminiscent of a peloton [9]. Nevertheless, within each of the cell lines evaluated, cell shape and shape variability from cell-to-cell conformed with predicted structural signatures of cell layer unjamming [1]. Moreover, both structure and migratory dynamics were compatible with previous theoretical descriptions of the cell jamming mechanism [2,10,11,16,17]. As such, these findings demonstrate the richness of the cell jamming mechanism, which is now seen to apply across these cancer cell lines but remains poorly understood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Amit Das
- Northeastern University, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Bo Lan
- Harvard School of Public Health, MA, USA
| | | | - Lior Atia
- Harvard School of Public Health, MA, USA
| | - Shijie He
- Mass General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - James P Butler
- Harvard School of Public Health, MA, USA; Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kyu Ha Lee
- The Forsyth Institute, Cambridge, MA, USA
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13
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Zhong J, Yang Y, Liao L, Zhang C. Matrix stiffness-regulated cellular functions under different dimensionalities. Biomater Sci 2020; 8:2734-2755. [DOI: 10.1039/c9bm01809c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
The microenvironments that cells encounter with in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajun Zhong
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology and Biomedical Instruments (Sun Yat-sen University)
- School of Biomedical Engineering
- Sun Yat-Sen University
- Guangzhou
- P. R. China
| | - Yuexiong Yang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology and Biomedical Instruments (Sun Yat-sen University)
- School of Biomedical Engineering
- Sun Yat-Sen University
- Guangzhou
- P. R. China
| | - Liqiong Liao
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Construction and Detection in Tissue Engineering
- Biomaterials Research Center
- School of Biomedical Engineering
- Southern Medical University
- Guangzhou
| | - Chao Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sensor Technology and Biomedical Instruments (Sun Yat-sen University)
- School of Biomedical Engineering
- Sun Yat-Sen University
- Guangzhou
- P. R. China
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14
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Walter C, Davis JT, Mathur J, Pathak A. Physical defects in basement membrane-mimicking collagen-IV matrices trigger cellular EMT and invasion. Integr Biol (Camb) 2019; 10:342-355. [PMID: 29790537 DOI: 10.1039/c8ib00034d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
In fibrosis and cancer, degradation of basement membrane (BM) and cell invasion are considered as key outcomes of a cellular transformation called epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Here, we pose a converse question - can preexisting physical defects in the BM matrix cause EMT in normal epithelial cells? On a BM-mimicking matrix of collagen-IV-coated polyacrylamide (PA) gel, we have discovered a reverse phenomenon in which preexisting defects trigger EMT in normal epithelial cells. Through spatiotemporal measurements and simulations in silico, we demonstrate that the EMT precedes cellular mechanoactivation on defective matrices, but they occur concurrently on stiff matrices. The defect-dependent EMT caused cell invasion though a stroma-mimicking collagen-I layer, which could be disabled through MMP9 inhibition. Our findings reveal that the known BM degradation caused by cellular EMT and invasion is not a one-way process. Instead, normal epithelial cells can exploit physical defects in the BM matrix to undergo disease-like cellular transformations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Walter
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, USA
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15
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Gryka MC, Comi TJ, Forsyth RA, Hadley PM, Deb S, Bhargava R. Controlled dissolution of freeform 3D printed carbohydrate glass scaffolds in hydrogels using a hydrophobic spray coating. ADDITIVE MANUFACTURING 2019; 26:193-201. [PMID: 30775269 PMCID: PMC6371974 DOI: 10.1016/j.addma.2018.12.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Freeform 3D printing combined with sacrificial molding promises to lead advances in production of highly complex tubular systems for biomedical applications. Here we leverage a purpose-built isomalt 3D printer to generate complex channel geometries in hydrogels which would be inaccessible with other techniques. To control the dissolution of the scaffold, we propose an enabling technology consisting of an automated nebulizer coating system which applies octadecane to isomalt scaffolds. Octadecane, a saturated hydrocarbon, protects the rigid mold from dissolution and provides ample time for gels to set around the sacrificial structure. With a simplified model of the nebulizer system, the robotic motion was optimized for uniform coating. Using a combination of stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy and X-ray computed tomography, the coating was characterized to assess surface roughness and consistency. Colorimetric measurements of dissolution rates allowed optimization of sprayer parameters, yielding a decrease in dissolution rates by at least 4 orders of magnitude. High fidelity channels are ensured by surfactant treatment of the coating, which prevents bubbles from clinging to the surface. Spontaneous Raman scattering microspectroscopy and white light microscopy indicate cleared channels are free of octadecane following gentle flushing. The capabilities of the workflow are highlighted with several complex channel architectures including helices, blind channels, and multiple independent channels within polyacrylamide hydrogels of varying stiffnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C Gryka
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - T J Comi
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - R A Forsyth
- Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - P M Hadley
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - S Deb
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
| | - R Bhargava
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
- Departments of Chemistry, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Mechanical Science and Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL
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16
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Mathur J, Sarker B, Pathak A. Predicting Collective Migration of Cell Populations Defined by Varying Repolarization Dynamics. Biophys J 2018; 115:2474-2485. [PMID: 30527449 PMCID: PMC6302036 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2018.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2018] [Revised: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Collective migration of heterogeneous cell populations is an essential aspect of fundamental biological processes, including morphogenesis, wound healing, and tumor invasion. Through experiments and modeling, it has been shown that cells attain front-rear polarity, generate forces, and form adhesions to migrate. However, it remains unclear how the ability of individual cells in a population to dynamically repolarize themselves into new directions could regulate the collective response. We present a vertex-based model in which each deformable cell randomly chooses a new polarization direction after every defined time interval, elongates, proportionally generates forces, and causes collective migration. Our simulations predict that cell types that repolarize at longer time intervals attain more elongated shapes, migrate faster, deform the cell sheet, and roughen the leading edge. By imaging collectively migrating epithelial cell monolayers at high temporal resolution, we found longer repolarization intervals and elongated shapes of cells at the leading edge compared to those within the monolayer. Based on these experimental measurements and simulations, we defined aggressive mutant leader cells by long repolarization interval and minimal intercellular contact. The cells with frequent and random repolarization were defined as normal cells. In simulations with uniformly dispersed leader cells in a normal cell population at a 1:10 ratio, the resulting migration and deformation of the heterogeneous cell sheet remained low. However, when the 10% mutant leaders were placed only at the leading edge, we predicted a rise in the migration of an otherwise normal cell sheet. Our model predicts that a repolarization-based definition of leader cells and their placement within a healthy population can generate myriad modes of collective cell migration, which can enhance our understanding of collective cell migration in disease and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jairaj Mathur
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Bapi Sarker
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Amit Pathak
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri.
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17
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Pathak A. Modeling and predictions of biphasic mechanosensitive cell migration altered by cell-intrinsic properties and matrix confinement. Phys Biol 2018; 15:065001. [DOI: 10.1088/1478-3975/aabdcc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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18
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Sarker B, Walter C, Pathak A. Direct Micropatterning of Extracellular Matrix Proteins on Functionalized Polyacrylamide Hydrogels Shows Geometric Regulation of Cell–Cell Junctions. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2018; 4:2340-2349. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.8b00331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bapi Sarker
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Christopher Walter
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Amit Pathak
- Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
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19
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Barcus CE, Keely PJ, Eliceiri KW, Schuler LA. Prolactin signaling through focal adhesion complexes is amplified by stiff extracellular matrices in breast cancer cells. Oncotarget 2018; 7:48093-48106. [PMID: 27344177 PMCID: PMC5217003 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.10137] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Estrogen receptor α positive (ERα+) breast cancer accounts for most breast cancer deaths. Both prolactin (PRL) and extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness/density have been implicated in metastatic progression of this disease. We previously demonstrated that these factors cooperate to fuel processes involved in cancer progression. Culture of ERα+ breast cancer cells in dense/stiff 3D collagen-I matrices shifts the repertoire of PRL signals, and increases crosstalk between PRL and estrogen to promote proliferation and invasion. However, previous work did not distinguish ECM stiffness and collagen density. In order to dissect the ECM features that control PRL signals, we cultured T47D and MCF-7 cells on polyacrylamide hydrogels of varying elastic moduli (stiffness) with varying collagen-I concentrations (ligand density). Increasing stiffness from physiological to pathological significantly augmented PRL-induced phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and the SFK target, FAK-Y925, with only modest effects on pSTAT5. In contrast, higher collagen-I ligand density lowered PRL-induced pSTAT5 with no effect on pERK1/2 or pFAK-Y925. Disrupting focal adhesion signaling decreased PRL signals and PRL/estrogen-induced proliferation more efficiently in stiff, compared to compliant, extracellular environments. These data indicate that matrix stiffness shifts the balance of PRL signals from physiological (JAK2/STAT5) to pathological (FAK/SFK/ERK1/2) by increasing PRL signals through focal adhesions. Together, our studies suggest that PRL signaling to FAK and SFKs may be useful targets in clinical aggressive ERα+ breast carcinomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig E Barcus
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.,Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Patricia J Keely
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.,Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.,Laboratory for Cellular and Molecular Biology and Laboratory for Optical and Computational Instrumentation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.,University of Wisconsin Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Kevin W Eliceiri
- Laboratory for Cellular and Molecular Biology and Laboratory for Optical and Computational Instrumentation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.,University of Wisconsin Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Linda A Schuler
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.,Cellular and Molecular Biology Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.,University of Wisconsin Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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20
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Effects of Liposomes Contained in Thermosensitive Hydrogels as Biomaterials Useful in Neural Tissue Engineering. MATERIALS 2017; 10:ma10101122. [PMID: 28937646 PMCID: PMC5666928 DOI: 10.3390/ma10101122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2017] [Revised: 09/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Advances in the generation of suitable thermosensitive hydrogels for the delivery of cells in neural tissue engineering demonstrate a delicate relationship between physical properties and capabilities to promote cell proliferation and differentiation. To improve the properties of these materials, it is possible to add liposomes for the controlled release of bioactive elements, which in turn can affect the physical and biological properties of the hydrogels. In the present investigation, different hydrogels based on Pluronic F127 have been formulated with the incorporation of chitosan and two types of liposomes of two different sizes. The rheological and thermal properties and their relation with the neurite proliferation and growth of the PC12 cell line were evaluated. Our results show that the incorporation of liposomes modifies the properties of the hydrogels dependent on the concentration of chitosan and the lipid type in the liposomes, which directly affect the capabilities of the hydrogels to promote the viability and differentiation of PC12 cells.
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21
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Nasrollahi S, Walter C, Loza AJ, Schimizzi GV, Longmore GD, Pathak A. Past matrix stiffness primes epithelial cells and regulates their future collective migration through a mechanical memory. Biomaterials 2017; 146:146-155. [PMID: 28918264 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2017.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2017] [Revised: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 09/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
During morphogenesis and cancer metastasis, grouped cells migrate through tissues of dissimilar stiffness. Although the influence of matrix stiffness on cellular mechanosensitivity and motility are well-recognized, it remains unknown whether these matrix-dependent cellular features persist after cells move to a new microenvironment. Here, we interrogate whether priming of epithelial cells by a given matrix stiffness influences their future collective migration on a different matrix - a property we refer to as the 'mechanical memory' of migratory cells. To prime cells on a defined matrix and track their collective migration onto an adjoining secondary matrix of dissimilar stiffness, we develop a modular polyacrylamide substrate through step-by-step polymerization of different PA compositions. We report that epithelial cells primed on a stiff matrix migrate faster, display higher actomyosin expression, form larger focal adhesions, and retain nuclear YAP even after arriving onto a soft secondary matrix, as compared to their control behavior on a homogeneously soft matrix. Priming on a soft ECM causes a reverse effect. The depletion of YAP dramatically reduces this memory-dependent migration. Our results present a previously unidentified regulation of mechanosensitive collective cell migration by past matrix stiffness, in which mechanical memory depends on YAP activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samila Nasrollahi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Christopher Walter
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Andrew J Loza
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Washington University, St. Louis MO 63110, USA; ICCE Institute, Washington University, St. Louis MO 63110, USA
| | - Gregory V Schimizzi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Washington University, St. Louis MO 63110, USA; ICCE Institute, Washington University, St. Louis MO 63110, USA
| | - Gregory D Longmore
- Departments of Medicine, Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO 63110 USA; ICCE Institute, Washington University, St. Louis MO 63110, USA
| | - Amit Pathak
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA.
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22
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Mayett D, Bitten N, Das M, Schwarz JM. Chase-and-run dynamics in cell motility and the molecular rupture of interacting active elastic dimers. Phys Rev E 2017; 96:032407. [PMID: 29346935 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.96.032407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Cell migration in morphogenesis and cancer metastasis typically involves interplay between different cell types. We construct and study a minimal, one-dimensional model composed of two different motile cells with each cell represented as an active elastic dimer. The interaction between the two cells via cadherins is modeled as a spring that can rupture beyond a threshold force as it undergoes dynamic loading from the interacting motile cells. We obtain a phase diagram consisting of chase-and-run dynamics and clumping dynamics as a function of the stiffness of the interaction spring and the threshold force and, therefore, posit that active rupture, or rupture via active forces, is a mechanosensitive means to regulate dynamics between cells. Since the parameters in the model differentiate between N- and E-cadherins, we make predictions for the interactions between a placodelike cell and a neural crestlike cell in a microchannel as well as discuss how our results inform chase-and-run dynamics found in a group of placode cells interacting with a group of neural crest cells. In particular, an argument was made in the latter case that the feedback between cadherins and cell-substrate interaction via integrins was necessary to obtain the chase-and-run behavior. Based on our two-cell results, we argue that this feedback accentuates, but is not necessary for, the chase-and-run behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Mayett
- Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, USA
| | - Nicholas Bitten
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - Moumita Das
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - J M Schwarz
- Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, USA
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23
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Raczkowska J, Awsiuk K, Prauzner-Bechcicki S, Pabijan J, Zemła J, Budkowski A, Lekka M. Patterning of cancerous cells driven by a combined modification of mechanical and chemical properties of the substrate. Eur Polym J 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpolymj.2017.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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24
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Scattering of Cell Clusters in Confinement. Biophys J 2017; 111:1496-1506. [PMID: 27705772 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2016.08.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) enables scattering of cell clusters and disseminates motile cells to distant locations in vivo during embryonic development and cancer metastasis. Both stiffness and topography of the extracellular matrix (ECM) have been shown to influence EMT. In this work, we examine how the integrity of epithelial cell clusters is regulated by subcellular forces, protrusions, and adhesions for varying ECM inputs, such as stiffness, topography, and dimensionality. Our model simulates multicell networks of defined sizes and shapes in ECMs of varied stiffness and geometry. The integrity of cell clusters is dictated by cell-cell junctions, which depend on subcellular forces and adhesion dynamics within each cell of the cluster. Our simulations demonstrate an enhanced dissociation of cell-cell junctions in stiffer and more confined three-dimensional (3D) environments, consistent with experimental findings. In narrow channels, the cell edges parallel to the axis of channels lose their cell-cell junctions more readily than those oriented in the perpendicular direction. The inhibition of protrusive activity and cell polarity disables confinement-dependent cell scattering. Here, cell adhesion and spreading along channel walls is found to be essential for scattering. The model also predicts that two-dimensional (2D) confinement of clusters restricts cell spreading and simultaneously blunts the confinement-sensitive cell scattering. This new, to our knowledge, multiscale model integrates molecular adhesion dynamics, subcellular forces, cellular deformation, and macroscale mechanical properties of the ECM to predict the state of cell clusters of defined shapes and sizes. The predictions made by our model not only match experimental findings from a number of experimental setups, but also provide a new conceptual framework for understanding mechanosensitive cell scattering and EMT.
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25
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Abstract
Time-lapse, deep-tissue imaging made possible by advances in intravital microscopy has demonstrated the importance of tumour cell migration through confining tracks in vivo. These tracks may either be endogenous features of tissues or be created by tumour or tumour-associated cells. Importantly, migration mechanisms through confining microenvironments are not predicted by 2D migration assays. Engineered in vitro models have been used to delineate the mechanisms of cell motility through confining spaces encountered in vivo. Understanding cancer cell locomotion through physiologically relevant confining tracks could be useful in developing therapeutic strategies to combat metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin D Paul
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA
| | - Panagiotis Mistriotis
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA
| | - Konstantinos Konstantopoulos
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and the Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA
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26
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Romero-López M, Trinh AL, Sobrino A, Hatch MMS, Keating MT, Fimbres C, Lewis DE, Gershon PD, Botvinick EL, Digman M, Lowengrub JS, Hughes CCW. Recapitulating the human tumor microenvironment: Colon tumor-derived extracellular matrix promotes angiogenesis and tumor cell growth. Biomaterials 2016; 116:118-129. [PMID: 27914984 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2016.11.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2016] [Revised: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Extracellular matrix (ECM) is an essential and dynamic component of all tissues and directly affects cellular behavior by providing both mechanical and biochemical signaling cues. Changes in ECM can alter tissue homeostasis, potentially leading to promotion of cellular transformation and the generation of tumors. Therefore, understanding ECM compositional changes during cancer progression is vital to the development of targeted treatments. Previous efforts to reproduce the native 3D cellular microenvironment have utilized protein gels and scaffolds that incompletely recapitulate the complexity of native tissues. Here, we address this problem by extracting and comparing ECM from normal human colon and colon tumor that had metastasized to liver. We found differences in protein composition and stiffness, and observed significant differences in vascular network formation and tumor growth in each of the reconstituted matrices, both in vitro and in vivo. We studied free/bound ratios of NADH in the tumor and endothelial cells using Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy as a surrogate for the metabolic state of the cells. We observed that cells seeded in tumor ECM had higher relative levels of free NADH, consistent with a higher glycolytic rate, than those seeded in normal ECM. These results demonstrate that the ECM plays an important role in the growth of cancer cells and their associated vasculature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica Romero-López
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, UC Irvine, USA
| | - Andrew L Trinh
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, UC Irvine, USA
| | - Agua Sobrino
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, UC Irvine, USA
| | - Michaela M S Hatch
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, UC Irvine, USA
| | - Mark T Keating
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, UC Irvine, USA
| | - Cristhian Fimbres
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, UC Irvine, USA
| | - David E Lewis
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, UC Irvine, USA
| | - Paul D Gershon
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, UC Irvine, USA
| | - Elliot L Botvinick
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, UC Irvine, USA; The Edwards Lifesciences Center for Advanced Cardiovascular Technology, UC Irvine, USA
| | - Michelle Digman
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, UC Irvine, USA
| | - John S Lowengrub
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, UC Irvine, USA; Department of Mathematics, School of Physical Sciences, UC Irvine, USA
| | - Christopher C W Hughes
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Henry Samueli School of Engineering, UC Irvine, USA; Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, School of Biological Sciences, UC Irvine, USA; The Edwards Lifesciences Center for Advanced Cardiovascular Technology, UC Irvine, USA.
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27
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Nasrollahi S, Banerjee S, Qayum B, Banerjee P, Pathak A. Nanoscale Matrix Topography Influences Microscale Cell Motility through Adhesions, Actin Organization, and Cell Shape. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2016; 3:2980-2986. [DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.6b00554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Samila Nasrollahi
- Department of Mechanical
Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Sriya Banerjee
- Department of Mechanical
Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Beenish Qayum
- Department of Mechanical
Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Parag Banerjee
- Department of Mechanical
Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
| | - Amit Pathak
- Department of Mechanical
Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University, Saint Louis, Missouri 63130, United States
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28
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Abstract
Mechanotransduction is the process through which cells survey the mechanical properties of their environment, convert these mechanical inputs into biochemical signals, and modulate their phenotype in response. These mechanical inputs, which may be encoded in the form of extracellular matrix stiffness, dimensionality, and adhesion, all strongly influence cell morphology, migration, and fate decisions. One mechanism through which cells on planar or pseudo-planar matrices exert tensile forces and interrogate microenvironmental mechanics is through stress fibers, which are bundles composed of actin filaments and, in most cases, non-muscle myosin II filaments. Stress fibers form a continuous structural network that is mechanically coupled to the extracellular matrix through focal adhesions. Furthermore, myosin-driven contractility plays a central role in the ability of stress fibers to sense matrix mechanics and generate tension. Here, we review the distinct roles that non-muscle myosin II plays in driving mechanosensing and focus specifically on motility. In a closely related discussion, we also describe stress fiber classification schemes and the differing roles of various myosin isoforms in each category. Finally, we briefly highlight recent studies exploring mechanosensing in three-dimensional environments, in which matrix content, structure, and mechanics are often tightly interrelated. Stress fibers and the myosin motors therein represent an intriguing and functionally important biological system in which mechanics, biochemistry, and architecture all converge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey Lee
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA; UC Berkeley-UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Sanjay Kumar
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA; UC Berkeley-UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
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29
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Lee JP, Kassianidou E, MacDonald JI, Francis MB, Kumar S. N-terminal specific conjugation of extracellular matrix proteins to 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde functionalized polyacrylamide hydrogels. Biomaterials 2016; 102:268-76. [PMID: 27348850 PMCID: PMC4939314 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2016.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2016] [Revised: 06/08/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Polyacrylamide hydrogels have been used extensively to study cell responses to the mechanical and biochemical properties of extracellular matrix substrates. A key step in fabricating these substrates is the conjugation of cell adhesion proteins to the polyacrylamide surfaces, which typically involves nonspecifically anchoring these proteins via side-chain functional groups. This can result in a loss of presentation control and altered bioactivity. Here, we describe a new functionalization strategy in which we anchor full-length extracellular matrix proteins to polyacrylamide substrates using 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde, which can be co-polymerized into polyacrylamide gels and used to immobilize proteins by their N-termini. This one-step reaction proceeds under mild aqueous conditions and does not require additional reagents. We demonstrate that these substrates can readily conjugate to various extracellular matrix proteins, as well as promote cell adhesion and spreading. Notably, this chemistry supports the assembly and cellular remodeling of large collagen fibers, which is not observed using conventional side-chain amine-conjugation chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica P Lee
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Elena Kassianidou
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; UC Berkeley-UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - James I MacDonald
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Matthew B Francis
- Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Materials Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Sanjay Kumar
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; UC Berkeley-UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley CA 94720, USA.
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30
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Abstract
Cellular motility is essential for many processes such as embryonic development, wound healing processes, tissue assembly and regeneration, immune cell trafficing and diseases such as cancer. The migration efficiency and the migratory potential depend on the type of migration mode. The previously established migration modes such as epithelial (non-migratory) and mesenchymal (migratory) as well as amoeboid (squeezing motility) relay mainly on phenomenological criteria such as cell morphology and molecular biological criteria such as gene expression. However, the physical view on the migration modes is still not well understood. As the process of malignant cancer progression such as metastasis depends on the migration of single cancer cells and their migration mode, this review focuses on the different migration strategies and discusses which mechanical prerequisites are necessary to perform a special migration mode through a 3-dimensional microenvironment. In particular, this review discusses how cells can distinguish and finally switch between the migration modes and what impact do the physical properties of cells and their microenvironment have on the transition between the novel migration modes such as blebbing and protrusive motility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Tanja Mierke
- a Faculty of Physics and Earth Science; Institute of Experimental Physics I; Biological Physics Division; University of Leipzig ; Leipzig , Germany
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31
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Nam KH, Kim P, Wood DK, Kwon S, Provenzano PP, Kim DH. Multiscale Cues Drive Collective Cell Migration. Sci Rep 2016; 6:29749. [PMID: 27460294 PMCID: PMC4962098 DOI: 10.1038/srep29749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2016] [Accepted: 06/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
To investigate complex biophysical relationships driving directed cell migration, we developed a biomimetic platform that allows perturbation of microscale geometric constraints with concomitant nanoscale contact guidance architectures. This permits us to elucidate the influence, and parse out the relative contribution, of multiscale features, and define how these physical inputs are jointly processed with oncogenic signaling. We demonstrate that collective cell migration is profoundly enhanced by the addition of contract guidance cues when not otherwise constrained. However, while nanoscale cues promoted migration in all cases, microscale directed migration cues are dominant as the geometric constraint narrows, a behavior that is well explained by stochastic diffusion anisotropy modeling. Further, oncogene activation (i.e. mutant PIK3CA) resulted in profoundly increased migration where extracellular multiscale directed migration cues and intrinsic signaling synergistically conspire to greatly outperform normal cells or any extracellular guidance cues in isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki-Hwan Nam
- Department of Bioengineering, Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea
- Division of Scientific Instrumentation, Optical Instrumentation Development Team, The Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon 34133, Korea
| | - Peter Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - David K. Wood
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Sunghoon Kwon
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-742, Korea
- Institutes of Entrepreneurial BioConvergence, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-744, South Korea
- Seoul National University Hospital Biomedical Research Institute, Seoul National University hospital, Seoul 110-744, South Korea
| | - Paolo P. Provenzano
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
- Masonic Cancer Center, and Stem Cell Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Deok-Ho Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
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32
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Bordeleau F, Reinhart-King CA. Tuning cell migration: contractility as an integrator of intracellular signals from multiple cues. F1000Res 2016; 5. [PMID: 27508074 PMCID: PMC4962296 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.7884.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/22/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
There has been immense progress in our understanding of the factors driving cell migration in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional microenvironments over the years. However, it is becoming increasingly evident that even though most cells share many of the same signaling molecules, they rarely respond in the same way to migration cues. To add to the complexity, cells are generally exposed to multiple cues simultaneously, in the form of growth factors and/or physical cues from the matrix. Understanding the mechanisms that modulate the intracellular signals triggered by multiple cues remains a challenge. Here, we will focus on the molecular mechanism involved in modulating cell migration, with a specific focus on how cell contractility can mediate the crosstalk between signaling initiated at cell-matrix adhesions and growth factor receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francois Bordeleau
- Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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33
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Abstract
Cells in the body are physically confined by neighboring cells, tissues, and the extracellular matrix. Although physical confinement modulates intracellular signaling and the underlying mechanisms of cell migration, it is difficult to study in vivo. Furthermore, traditional two-dimensional cell migration assays do not recapitulate the complex topographies found in the body. Therefore, a number of experimental in vitro models that confine and impose forces on cells in well-defined microenvironments have been engineered. We describe the design and use of microfluidic microchannel devices, grooved substrates, micropatterned lines, vertical confinement devices, patterned hydrogels, and micropipette aspiration assays for studying cell responses to confinement. Use of these devices has enabled the delineation of changes in cytoskeletal reorganization, cell-substrate adhesions, intracellular signaling, nuclear shape, and gene expression that result from physical confinement. These assays and the physiologically relevant signaling pathways that have been elucidated are beginning to have a translational and clinical impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin D Paul
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, and
| | - Wei-Chien Hung
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, and
| | - Denis Wirtz
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, and
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218;
| | - Konstantinos Konstantopoulos
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
- Institute for NanoBioTechnology, and
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218;
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34
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Nasrollahi S, Pathak A. Topographic confinement of epithelial clusters induces epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in compliant matrices. Sci Rep 2016; 6:18831. [PMID: 26728047 PMCID: PMC4700414 DOI: 10.1038/srep18831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Accepted: 11/27/2015] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Epithelial cells disengage from their clusters and become motile by undergoing epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), an essential process for both embryonic development and tumor metastasis. Growing evidence suggests that high extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness induces EMT. In reality, epithelial clusters reside in a heterogeneous microenvironment whose mechanical properties vary not only in terms of stiffness, but also topography, dimensionality, and confinement. Yet, very little is known about how various geometrical parameters of the ECM might influence EMT. Here, we adapt a hydrogel-microchannels based matrix platform to culture mammary epithelial cell clusters in ECMs of tunable stiffness and confinement. We report a previously unidentified role of ECM confinement in EMT induction. Surprisingly, confinement induces EMT even in the cell clusters surrounded by a soft matrix, which otherwise protects against EMT in unconfined environments. Further, we demonstrate that stiffness-induced and confinement-induced EMT work through cell-matrix adhesions and cytoskeletal polarization, respectively. These findings highlight that both the structure and the stiffness of the ECM can independently regulate EMT, which brings a fresh perspective to the existing paradigm of matrix stiffness-dependent dissemination and invasion of tumor cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samila Nasrollahi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Amit Pathak
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO 63130, USA
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35
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Abstract
Much progress in understanding cell migration has been determined by using classic two-dimensional (2D) tissue culture platforms. However, increasingly, it is appreciated that certain properties of cell migration
in vivo are not represented by strictly 2D assays. There is much interest in creating relevant three-dimensional (3D) culture environments and engineered platforms to better represent features of the extracellular matrix and stromal microenvironment that are not captured in 2D platforms. Important to this goal is a solid understanding of the features of the extracellular matrix—composition, stiffness, topography, and alignment—in different tissues and disease states and the development of means to capture these features
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Affiliation(s)
- Patricia Keely
- Department of Cell and Regenerative Biology, UW Carbone Cancer Center, UW School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Amrinder Nain
- 2Department of Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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36
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Dahl JB, Lin JMG, Muller SJ, Kumar S. Microfluidic Strategies for Understanding the Mechanics of Cells and Cell-Mimetic Systems. Annu Rev Chem Biomol Eng 2015; 6:293-317. [PMID: 26134738 PMCID: PMC5217707 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-chembioeng-061114-123407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Microfluidic systems are attracting increasing interest for the high-throughput measurement of cellular biophysical properties and for the creation of engineered cellular microenvironments. Here we review recent applications of microfluidic technologies to the mechanics of living cells and synthetic cell-mimetic systems. We begin by discussing the use of microfluidic devices to dissect the mechanics of cellular mimics, such as capsules and vesicles. We then explore applications to circulating cells, including erythrocytes and other normal blood cells, and rare populations with potential disease diagnostic value, such as circulating tumor cells. We conclude by discussing how microfluidic devices have been used to investigate the mechanics, chemotaxis, and invasive migration of adherent cells. In these ways, microfluidic technologies represent an increasingly important toolbox for investigating cellular mechanics and motility at high throughput and in a format that lends itself to clinical translation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna B. Dahl
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, UC-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Jung-Ming G. Lin
- Department of Bioengineering, UC-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- The UC Berkeley/UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Susan J. Muller
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, UC-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | - Sanjay Kumar
- Department of Bioengineering, UC-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720
- The UC Berkeley/UCSF Graduate Program in Bioengineering, Berkeley, CA 94720
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37
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Tissue stiffness regulates serine/arginine-rich protein-mediated splicing of the extra domain B-fibronectin isoform in tumors. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:8314-9. [PMID: 26106154 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1505421112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Alternative splicing of proteins gives rise to different isoforms that play a crucial role in regulating several cellular processes. Notably, splicing profiles are altered in several cancer types, and these profiles are believed to be involved in driving the oncogenic process. Although the importance of alternative splicing alterations occurring during cancer is increasingly appreciated, the underlying regulatory mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we use both biochemical and physical tools coupled with engineered models, patient samples, and a murine model to investigate the role of the mechanical properties of the tumor microenvironment in regulating the production of the extra domain-B (EDB) splice variant of fibronectin (FN), a hallmark of tumor angiogenesis. Specifically, we show that the amount of EDB-FN produced by endothelial cells increases with matrix stiffness both in vitro and within mouse mammary tumors. Matrix stiffness regulates splicing through the activation of serine/arginine rich (SR) proteins, the splicing factors involved in the production of FN isoforms. Activation of the SR proteins by matrix stiffness and the subsequent production of EDB-FN are dependent on intracellular contractility and PI3K-AKT signaling. Notably, matrix stiffness-mediated splicing is not limited to EDB-FN, but also affects splicing in the production of PKC βII and the VEGF 165b splice variant. Together, these results demonstrate that the mechanical properties of the microenvironment regulate alternative splicing and establish a previously unidentified mechanism by which cells can adapt to their microenvironment.
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38
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Rape A, Ananthanarayanan B, Kumar S. Engineering strategies to mimic the glioblastoma microenvironment. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2014; 79-80:172-83. [PMID: 25174308 PMCID: PMC4258440 DOI: 10.1016/j.addr.2014.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2013] [Revised: 04/23/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2014] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common and deadly brain tumor, with a mean survival time of only 21months. Despite the dramatic improvements in our understanding of GBM fueled by recent revolutions in molecular and systems biology, treatment advances for GBM have progressed inadequately slowly, which is due in part to the wide cellular and molecular heterogeneity both across tumors and within a single tumor. Thus, there is increasing clinical interest in targeting cell-extrinsic factors as way of slowing or halting the progression of GBM. These cell-extrinsic factors, collectively termed the microenvironment, include the extracellular matrix, blood vessels, stromal cells that surround tumor cells, and all associated soluble and scaffold-bound signals. In this review, we will first describe the regulation of GBM tumors by these microenvironmental factors. Next, we will discuss the various in vitro approaches that have been exploited to recapitulate and model the GBM tumor microenvironment in vitro. We conclude by identifying future challenges and opportunities in this field, including the development of microenvironmental platforms amenable to high-throughput discovery and screening. We anticipate that these ongoing efforts will prove to be valuable both as enabling tools for accelerating our understanding of microenvironmental regulation in GBM and as foundations for next-generation molecular screening platforms that may serve as a conceptual bridge between traditional reductionist systems and animal or clinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Rape
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | | | - Sanjay Kumar
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA.
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39
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Charras G, Sahai E. Physical influences of the extracellular environment on cell migration. Nat Rev Mol Cell Biol 2014; 15:813-24. [PMID: 25355506 DOI: 10.1038/nrm3897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 459] [Impact Index Per Article: 45.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The way in which a cell migrates is influenced by the physical properties of its surroundings, in particular the properties of the extracellular matrix. How the physical aspects of the cell's environment affect cell migration poses a considerable challenge when trying to understand migration in complex tissue environments and hinders the extrapolation of in vitro analyses to in vivo situations. A comprehensive understanding of these problems requires an integrated biochemical and biophysical approach. In this Review, we outline the findings that have emerged from approaches that span these disciplines, with a focus on actin-based cell migration in environments with different stiffness, dimensionality and geometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Charras
- 1] London Centre for Nanotechnology, 17-19 Gordon Street, London WC1H 0AH, UK. [2] Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Erik Sahai
- Cancer Research UK London Research Institute, 44 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3LY, UK
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40
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Nam KH, Smith AST, Lone S, Kwon S, Kim DH. Biomimetic 3D Tissue Models for Advanced High-Throughput Drug Screening. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 20:201-15. [PMID: 25385716 DOI: 10.1177/2211068214557813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Most current drug screening assays used to identify new drug candidates are 2D cell-based systems, even though such in vitro assays do not adequately re-create the in vivo complexity of 3D tissues. Inadequate representation of the human tissue environment during a preclinical test can result in inaccurate predictions of compound effects on overall tissue functionality. Screening for compound efficacy by focusing on a single pathway or protein target, coupled with difficulties in maintaining long-term 2D monolayers, can serve to exacerbate these issues when using such simplistic model systems for physiological drug screening applications. Numerous studies have shown that cell responses to drugs in 3D culture are improved from those in 2D, with respect to modeling in vivo tissue functionality, which highlights the advantages of using 3D-based models for preclinical drug screens. In this review, we discuss the development of microengineered 3D tissue models that accurately mimic the physiological properties of native tissue samples and highlight the advantages of using such 3D microtissue models over conventional cell-based assays for future drug screening applications. We also discuss biomimetic 3D environments, based on engineered tissues as potential preclinical models for the development of more predictive drug screening assays for specific disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki-Hwan Nam
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea Center for Analytical Instrumentation Development, The Korea Basic Science Institute, Deajeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Alec S T Smith
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Saifullah Lone
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunghoon Kwon
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Deok-Ho Kim
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Center for Cardiovascular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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41
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Lopez JH, Das M, Schwarz JM. Active elastic dimers: cells moving on rigid tracks. PHYSICAL REVIEW. E, STATISTICAL, NONLINEAR, AND SOFT MATTER PHYSICS 2014; 90:032707. [PMID: 25314473 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.90.032707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Experiments suggest that the migration of some cells in the three-dimensional extracellular matrix bears strong resemblance to one-dimensional cell migration. Motivated by this observation, we construct and study a minimal one-dimensional model cell made of two beads and an active spring moving along a rigid track. The active spring models the stress fibers with their myosin-driven contractility and α-actinin-driven extendability, while the friction coefficients of the two beads describe the catch and slip-bond behaviors of the integrins in focal adhesions. In the absence of active noise, net motion arises from an interplay between active contractility (and passive extendability) of the stress fibers and an asymmetry between the front and back of the cell due to catch-bond behavior of integrins at the front of the cell and slip-bond behavior of integrins at the back. We obtain reasonable cell speeds with independently estimated parameters. We also study the effects of hysteresis in the active spring, due to catch-bond behavior and the dynamics of cross linking, and the addition of active noise on the motion of the cell. Our model highlights the role of α-actinin in three-dimensional cell motility and does not require Arp2/3 actin filament nucleation for net motion.
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Affiliation(s)
- J H Lopez
- Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, USA
| | - Moumita Das
- School of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, New York 14623, USA
| | - J M Schwarz
- Department of Physics, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, USA
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42
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Schuessler TK, Chan XY, Chen HJ, Ji K, Park KM, Roshan-Ghias A, Sethi P, Thakur A, Tian X, Villasante A, Zervantonakis IK, Moore NM, Nagahara LA, Kuhn NZ. Biomimetic tissue-engineered systems for advancing cancer research: NCI Strategic Workshop report. Cancer Res 2014; 74:5359-63. [PMID: 25095784 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-14-1706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Advanced technologies and biomaterials developed for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine present tractable biomimetic systems with potential applications for cancer research. Recently, the National Cancer Institute convened a Strategic Workshop to explore the use of tissue biomanufacturing for development of dynamic, physiologically relevant in vitro and ex vivo biomimetic systems to study cancer biology and drug efficacy. The workshop provided a forum to identify current progress, research gaps, and necessary steps to advance the field. Opportunities discussed included development of tumor biomimetic systems with an emphasis on reproducibility and validation of new biomimetic tumor models, as described in this report.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xin Yi Chan
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Physical Sciences Oncology Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | | | - Kyungmin Ji
- Department of Pharmacology, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Kyung Min Park
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Institute for NanoBioTechnology, Physical Sciences Oncology Center, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Alireza Roshan-Ghias
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Pallavi Sethi
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cancer Nanotechnology Training Center, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, Lexington, Kentucky
| | - Archana Thakur
- Department of Oncology, Karmanos Cancer Institute at Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Xi Tian
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Aranzazu Villasante
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Laboratory for Stem Cells and Tissue Engineering, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | | | - Nicole M Moore
- Division of Cancer Biology, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Larry A Nagahara
- Division of Cancer Biology, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland
| | - Nastaran Z Kuhn
- Division of Cancer Biology, National Cancer Institute, Rockville, Maryland.
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Mierke CT. The fundamental role of mechanical properties in the progression of cancer disease and inflammation. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2014; 77:076602. [PMID: 25006689 DOI: 10.1088/0034-4885/77/7/076602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
The role of mechanical properties in cancer disease and inflammation is still underinvestigated and even ignored in many oncological and immunological reviews. In particular, eight classical hallmarks of cancer have been proposed, but they still ignore the mechanics behind the processes that facilitate cancer progression. To define the malignant transformation of neoplasms and finally reveal the functional pathway that enables cancer cells to promote cancer progression, these classical hallmarks of cancer require the inclusion of specific mechanical properties of cancer cells and their microenvironment such as the extracellular matrix as well as embedded cells such as fibroblasts, macrophages or endothelial cells. Thus, this review will present current cancer research from a biophysical point of view and will therefore focus on novel physical aspects and biophysical methods to investigate the aggressiveness of cancer cells and the process of inflammation. As cancer or immune cells are embedded in a certain microenvironment such as the extracellular matrix, the mechanical properties of this microenvironment cannot be neglected, and alterations of the microenvironment may have an impact on the mechanical properties of the cancer or immune cells. Here, it is highlighted how biophysical approaches, both experimental and theoretical, have an impact on the classical hallmarks of cancer and inflammation. It is even pointed out how these biophysical approaches contribute to the understanding of the regulation of cancer disease and inflammatory responses after tissue injury through physical microenvironmental property sensing mechanisms. The recognized physical signals are transduced into biochemical signaling events that guide cellular responses, such as malignant tumor progression, after the transition of cancer cells from an epithelial to a mesenchymal phenotype or an inflammatory response due to tissue injury. Moreover, cell adaptation to mechanical alterations, in particular the understanding of mechano-coupling and mechano-regulating functions in cell invasion, appears as an important step in cancer progression and inflammatory response to injuries. This may lead to novel insights into cancer disease and inflammatory diseases and will overcome classical views on cancer and inflammation. In addition, this review will discuss how the physics of cancer and inflammation can help to reveal whether cancer cells will invade connective tissue and metastasize or how leukocytes extravasate and migrate through the tissue. In this review, the physical concepts of cancer progression, including the tissue basement membrane a cancer cell is crossing, its invasion and transendothelial migration as well as the basic physical concepts of inflammatory processes and the cellular responses to the mechanical stress of the microenvironment such as external forces and matrix stiffness, are presented and discussed. In conclusion, this review will finally show how physical measurements can improve classical approaches that investigate cancer and inflammatory diseases, and how these physical insights can be integrated into classical tumor biological approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Tanja Mierke
- Faculty of Physics and Earth Science, Institute of Experimental Physics I, Biological Physics Division, University of Leipzig, Linnéstr. 5, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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Stroka KM, Gu Z, Sun SX, Konstantopoulos K. Bioengineering paradigms for cell migration in confined microenvironments. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2014; 30:41-50. [PMID: 24973724 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2014.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2014] [Revised: 05/27/2014] [Accepted: 06/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Cell migration is a fundamental process underlying diverse (patho)physiological phenomena. The classical understanding of the molecular mechanisms of cell migration has been based on in vitro studies on two-dimensional substrates. More recently, mounting evidence from intravital studies has shown that during metastasis, tumor cells must navigate complex microenvironments in vivo, including narrow, pre-existing microtracks created by anatomical structures. It is becoming apparent that unraveling the mechanisms of confined cell migration in this context requires a multi-disciplinary approach through integration of in vivo and in vitro studies, along with sophisticated bioengineering techniques and mathematical modeling. Here, we highlight such an approach that has led to discovery of a new model for cell migration in confined microenvironments (i.e., the Osmotic Engine Model).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly M Stroka
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences - Oncology Center, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Zhizhan Gu
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences - Oncology Center, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Sean X Sun
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences - Oncology Center, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Department of Mechanical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA
| | - Konstantinos Konstantopoulos
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA; Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences - Oncology Center, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA.
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Wang Y, Jeong Y, Jhiang SM, Yu L, Menq CH. Quantitative characterization of cell behaviors through cell cycle progression via automated cell tracking. PLoS One 2014; 9:e98762. [PMID: 24911281 PMCID: PMC4049640 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2013] [Accepted: 05/07/2014] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell behaviors are reflections of intracellular tension dynamics and play important roles in many cellular processes. In this study, temporal variations in cell geometry and cell motion through cell cycle progression were quantitatively characterized via automated cell tracking for MCF-10A non-transformed breast cells, MCF-7 non-invasive breast cancer cells, and MDA-MB-231 highly metastatic breast cancer cells. A new cell segmentation method, which combines the threshold method and our modified edge based active contour method, was applied to optimize cell boundary detection for all cells in the field-of-view. An automated cell-tracking program was implemented to conduct live cell tracking over 40 hours for the three cell lines. The cell boundary and location information was measured and aligned with cell cycle progression with constructed cell lineage trees. Cell behaviors were studied in terms of cell geometry and cell motion. For cell geometry, cell area and cell axis ratio were investigated. For cell motion, instantaneous migration speed, cell motion type, as well as cell motion range were analyzed. We applied a cell-based approach that allows us to examine and compare temporal variations of cell behavior along with cell cycle progression at a single cell level. Cell body geometry along with distribution of peripheral protrusion structures appears to be associated with cell motion features. Migration speed together with motion type and motion ranges are required to distinguish the three cell-lines examined. We found that cells dividing or overlapping vertically are unique features of cell malignancy for both MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells, whereas abrupt changes in cell body geometry and cell motion during mitosis are unique to highly metastatic MDA-MB-231 cells. Taken together, our live cell tracking system serves as an invaluable tool to identify cell behaviors that are unique to malignant and/or highly metastatic breast cancer cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuliang Wang
- Precision Measurement and Control Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Younkoo Jeong
- Precision Measurement and Control Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Sissy M. Jhiang
- The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Lianbo Yu
- Center for Biostatistics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
| | - Chia-Hsiang Menq
- Precision Measurement and Control Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Stroka KM, Konstantopoulos K. Physical biology in cancer. 4. Physical cues guide tumor cell adhesion and migration. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2014; 306:C98-C109. [PMID: 24133064 PMCID: PMC3919991 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00289.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2013] [Accepted: 10/15/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
As tumor cells metastasize from the primary tumor location to a distant secondary site, they encounter an array of biologically and physically heterogeneous microenvironments. While it is well established that biochemical signals guide all stages of the metastatic cascade, mounting evidence indicates that physical cues also direct tumor cell behavior, including adhesion and migration phenotypes. Physical cues acting on tumor cells in vivo include extracellular matrix mechanical properties, dimensionality, and topography, as well as interstitial flow, hydrodynamic shear stresses, and local forces due to neighboring cells. State-of-the-art technologies have recently enabled us and other researchers to engineer cell microenvironments that mimic specific physical properties of the cellular milieu. Through integration of these engineering strategies, along with physics, molecular biology, and imaging techniques, we have acquired new insights into tumor cell adhesion and migration mechanisms. In this review, we focus on the extravasation and invasion stages of the metastatic cascade. We first discuss the physical role of the endothelium during tumor cell extravasation and invasion and how contractility of endothelial and tumor cells contributes to the ability of tumor cells to exit the vasculature. Next, we examine how matrix dimensionality and stiffness coregulate tumor cell adhesion and migration beyond the vasculature. Finally, we summarize how tumor cells translate and respond to physical cues through mechanotransduction. Because of the critical role of tumor cell mechanotransduction at various stages of the metastatic cascade, targeting signaling pathways involved in tumor cell mechanosensing of physical stimuli may prove to be an effective therapeutic strategy for cancer patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly M Stroka
- Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
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Bordeleau F, Alcoser TA, Reinhart-King CA. Physical biology in cancer. 5. The rocky road of metastasis: the role of cytoskeletal mechanics in cell migratory response to 3D matrix topography. Am J Physiol Cell Physiol 2014; 306:C110-20. [PMID: 24196535 PMCID: PMC3919983 DOI: 10.1152/ajpcell.00283.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2013] [Accepted: 10/30/2013] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment is a milieu of heterogeneous architectural features that affect tumor growth and metastatic invasion. Pore size, density, stiffness, and fiber architecture change dramatically from location to location throughout the tumor matrix. While many studies have addressed the effects of two-dimensional extracellular matrix structure and composition on cell migration, less is known about how cancer cells navigate complex, heterogeneous three-dimensional (3D) microenvironments. Mechanical structures such as actin and keratin, part of the cytoskeletal framework, and lamins, part of the nucleoskeletal framework, play a key role in migration and are altered during cancer progression. Recent evidence suggests that these changes in cytoskeletal and nucleoskeletal structures may enable cancer cells to efficiently respond to features such as pore size and stiffness to invade and migrate. Here we discuss the role of cell mechanics and the cytoskeleton in the ability of cells to navigate and respond to 3D matrix features and heterogeneities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francois Bordeleau
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
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