1
|
Zhang X, Yue K, Zhang X. Numerical investigation on flow-induced wall shear stress variation of metastatic cancer cells in lymphatics with elastic valves. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin 2024:1-14. [PMID: 39023503 DOI: 10.1080/10255842.2024.2381518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/20/2024]
Abstract
Hematogenous metastasis occurs when cancer cells detach from the extracellular matrix in the primary tumor into the bloodstream or lymphatic system. Elucidating the response of metastatic tumor cells in suspension to the flow conditions in lymphatics with valves from a mechanical/fluidic perspective is necessary. A physiologically relevant computational model of a lymphatic vessel with valves was constructed using fully coupled fluid-cell-vessel interactions to investigate the effects of lymphatic vessel contractility, valve properties, and cell size and stiffness on the variations in magnitude and gradient of the flow-induced wall shear stress (WSS) experienced by suspended tumor cells. Results indicated that the maximum WSSmax increased with the increments in cell diameter, vessel contraction amplitude, and valve stiffness. The decrease in vessel contraction period and valve aspect ratio also increased the maximum WSSmax. The influence of the properties of the valve on the WSS was more significant among the factors mentioned above. The maximum WSSmax acting on the cancer cell when the cell reversed the direction of its motion in the valve region increased by 0.5-1.4 times that before the cell entered the valve region. The maximum change in WSS was in the range of 0.004-0.028 Pa/µm depending on the factors studied. They slightly exceeded the values associated with breast cancer cell apoptosis. The results of this study provide biofluid mechanics-based support for mechanobiological research on the metastasis of metastatic cancer cells in suspension within the lymphatics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xilong Zhang
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China
| | - Kai Yue
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China
- Shunde Innovation School, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Shunde, China
| | - Xinxin Zhang
- School of Energy and Environmental Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China
- Shunde Innovation School, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Shunde, China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Qiu Y, Gao T, Smith BR. Mechanical deformation and death of circulating tumor cells in the bloodstream. Cancer Metastasis Rev 2024:10.1007/s10555-024-10198-3. [PMID: 38980581 DOI: 10.1007/s10555-024-10198-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
The circulation of tumor cells through the bloodstream is a significant step in tumor metastasis. To better understand the metastatic process, circulating tumor cell (CTC) survival in the circulation must be explored. While immune interactions with CTCs in recent decades have been examined, research has yet to sufficiently explain some CTC behaviors in blood flow. Studies related to CTC mechanical responses in the bloodstream have recently been conducted to further study conditions under which CTCs might die. While experimental methods can assess the mechanical properties and death of CTCs, increasingly sophisticated computational models are being built to simulate the blood flow and CTC mechanical deformation under fluid shear stresses (FSS) in the bloodstream.Several factors contribute to the mechanical deformation and death of CTCs as they circulate. While FSS can damage CTC structure, diverse interactions between CTCs and blood components may either promote or hinder the next metastatic step-extravasation at a remote site. Overall understanding of how these factors influence the deformation and death of CTCs could serve as a basis for future experiments and simulations, enabling researchers to predict CTC death more accurately. Ultimately, these efforts can lead to improved metastasis-specific therapeutics and diagnostics specific in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yunxiu Qiu
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- The Institute for Quantitative Health Science & Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Tong Gao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Department of Computational Mathematics, Science, and Engineering, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Bryan Ronain Smith
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
- The Institute for Quantitative Health Science & Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Liang L, Song X, Zhao H, Lim CT. Insights into the mechanobiology of cancer metastasis via microfluidic technologies. APL Bioeng 2024; 8:021506. [PMID: 38841688 PMCID: PMC11151435 DOI: 10.1063/5.0195389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024] Open
Abstract
During cancer metastasis, cancer cells will encounter various microenvironments with diverse physical characteristics. Changes in these physical characteristics such as tension, stiffness, viscosity, compression, and fluid shear can generate biomechanical cues that affect cancer cells, dynamically influencing numerous pathophysiological mechanisms. For example, a dense extracellular matrix drives cancer cells to reorganize their cytoskeleton structures, facilitating confined migration, while this dense and restricted space also acts as a physical barrier that potentially results in nuclear rupture. Identifying these pathophysiological processes and understanding their underlying mechanobiological mechanisms can aid in the development of more effective therapeutics targeted to cancer metastasis. In this review, we outline the advances of engineering microfluidic devices in vitro and their role in replicating tumor microenvironment to mimic in vivo settings. We highlight the potential cellular mechanisms that mediate their ability to adapt to different microenvironments. Meanwhile, we also discuss some important mechanical cues that still remain challenging to replicate in current microfluidic devices in future direction. While much remains to be explored about cancer mechanobiology, we believe the developments of microfluidic devices will reveal how these physical cues impact the behaviors of cancer cells. It will be crucial in the understanding of cancer metastasis, and potentially contributing to better drug development and cancer therapy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lanfeng Liang
- Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xiao Song
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Xiong Y, Li S, Zhang Y, Chen Q, Xing M, Zhang Y, Wang Q. MechanoBase: a comprehensive database for the mechanics of tissues and cells. Database (Oxford) 2024; 2024:baae040. [PMID: 38805752 PMCID: PMC11131424 DOI: 10.1093/database/baae040] [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: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Mechanical aspects of tissues and cells critically influence a myriad of biological processes and can substantially alter the course of diverse diseases. The emergence of diverse methodologies adapted from physical science now permits the precise quantification of the cellular forces and the mechanical properties of tissues and cells. Despite the rising interest in tissue and cellular mechanics across fields like biology, bioengineering and medicine, there remains a noticeable absence of a comprehensive and readily accessible repository of this pertinent information. To fill this gap, we present MechanoBase, a comprehensive tissue and cellular mechanics database, curating 57 480 records from 5634 PubMed articles. The records archived in MechanoBase encompass a range of mechanical properties and forces, such as modulus and tractions, which have been measured utilizing various technical approaches. These measurements span hundreds of biosamples across more than 400 species studied under diverse conditions. Aiming for broad applicability, we design MechanoBase with user-friendly search, browsing and data download features, making it a versatile tool for exploring biomechanical attributes in various biological contexts. Moreover, we add complementary resources, including the principles of popular techniques, the concepts of mechanobiology terms and the cellular and tissue-level expression of related genes, offering scientists unprecedented access to a wealth of knowledge in this field of research. Database URL: https://zhanglab-web.tongji.edu.cn/mechanobase/ and https://compbio-zhanglab.org/mechanobase/.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yanhong Xiong
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Shiyu Li
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yuxuan Zhang
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Qianqian Chen
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Mengtan Xing
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Institute for Regenerative Medicine, Shanghai East Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Signaling and Disease Research, School of Life Sciences and Technology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
- Frontier Science Center for Stem Cell Research, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Massey A, Stewart J, Smith C, Parvini C, McCormick M, Do K, Cartagena-Rivera AX. Mechanical properties of human tumour tissues and their implications for cancer development. NATURE REVIEWS. PHYSICS 2024; 6:269-282. [PMID: 38706694 PMCID: PMC11066734 DOI: 10.1038/s42254-024-00707-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
The mechanical properties of cells and tissues help determine their architecture, composition and function. Alterations to these properties are associated with many diseases, including cancer. Tensional, compressive, adhesive, elastic and viscous properties of individual cells and multicellular tissues are mostly regulated by reorganization of the actomyosin and microtubule cytoskeletons and extracellular glycocalyx, which in turn drive many pathophysiological processes, including cancer progression. This Review provides an in-depth collection of quantitative data on diverse mechanical properties of living human cancer cells and tissues. Additionally, the implications of mechanical property changes for cancer development are discussed. An increased knowledge of the mechanical properties of the tumour microenvironment, as collected using biomechanical approaches capable of multi-timescale and multiparametric analyses, will provide a better understanding of the complex mechanical determinants of cancer organization and progression. This information can lead to a further understanding of resistance mechanisms to chemotherapies and immunotherapies and the metastatic cascade.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Massey
- Section on Mechanobiology, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jamie Stewart
- Section on Mechanobiology, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Jamie Stewart, Chynna Smith
| | - Chynna Smith
- Section on Mechanobiology, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- These authors contributed equally: Jamie Stewart, Chynna Smith
| | - Cameron Parvini
- Section on Mechanobiology, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Moira McCormick
- Section on Mechanobiology, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kun Do
- Section on Mechanobiology, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Alexander X. Cartagena-Rivera
- Section on Mechanobiology, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Xin Y, Li K, Huang M, Liang C, Siemann D, Wu L, Tan Y, Tang X. Biophysics in tumor growth and progression: from single mechano-sensitive molecules to mechanomedicine. Oncogene 2023; 42:3457-3490. [PMID: 37864030 PMCID: PMC10656290 DOI: 10.1038/s41388-023-02844-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/22/2023]
Abstract
Evidence from physical sciences in oncology increasingly suggests that the interplay between the biophysical tumor microenvironment and genetic regulation has significant impact on tumor progression. Especially, tumor cells and the associated stromal cells not only alter their own cytoskeleton and physical properties but also remodel the microenvironment with anomalous physical properties. Together, these altered mechano-omics of tumor tissues and their constituents fundamentally shift the mechanotransduction paradigms in tumorous and stromal cells and activate oncogenic signaling within the neoplastic niche to facilitate tumor progression. However, current findings on tumor biophysics are limited, scattered, and often contradictory in multiple contexts. Systematic understanding of how biophysical cues influence tumor pathophysiology is still lacking. This review discusses recent different schools of findings in tumor biophysics that have arisen from multi-scale mechanobiology and the cutting-edge technologies. These findings range from the molecular and cellular to the whole tissue level and feature functional crosstalk between mechanotransduction and oncogenic signaling. We highlight the potential of these anomalous physical alterations as new therapeutic targets for cancer mechanomedicine. This framework reconciles opposing opinions in the field, proposes new directions for future cancer research, and conceptualizes novel mechanomedicine landscape to overcome the inherent shortcomings of conventional cancer diagnosis and therapies.
Collapse
Grants
- R35 GM150812 NIGMS NIH HHS
- This work was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Project no. 11972316, Y.T.), Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission (Project no. JCYJ20200109142001798, SGDX2020110309520303, and JCYJ20220531091002006, Y.T.), General Research Fund of Hong Kong Research Grant Council (PolyU 15214320, Y. T.), Health and Medical Research Fund (HMRF18191421, Y.T.), Hong Kong Polytechnic University (1-CD75, 1-ZE2M, and 1-ZVY1, Y.T.), the Cancer Pilot Research Award from UF Health Cancer Center (X. T.), the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under award number R35GM150812 (X. T.), the National Science Foundation under grant number 2308574 (X. T.), the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under award number FA9550-23-1-0393 (X. T.), the University Scholar Program (X. T.), UF Research Opportunity Seed Fund (X. T.), the Gatorade Award (X. T.), and the National Science Foundation REU Site at UF: Engineering for Healthcare (Douglas Spearot and Malisa Sarntinoranont). We are deeply grateful for the insightful discussions with and generous support from all members of Tang (UF)’s and Tan (PolyU)’s laboratories and all staff members of the MAE/BME/ECE/Health Cancer Center at UF and BME at PolyU.
- National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China)
- Shenzhen Science and Technology Innovation Commission
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Xin
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Keming Li
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Miao Huang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Chenyu Liang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Dietmar Siemann
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Lizi Wu
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Youhua Tan
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
- Research Institute of Smart Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Xin Tang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- UF Health Cancer Center, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
- Department of Physiology and Functional Genomics, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Yousafzai MS, Hammer JA. Using Biosensors to Study Organoids, Spheroids and Organs-on-a-Chip: A Mechanobiology Perspective. BIOSENSORS 2023; 13:905. [PMID: 37887098 PMCID: PMC10605946 DOI: 10.3390/bios13100905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
The increasing popularity of 3D cell culture models is being driven by the demand for more in vivo-like conditions with which to study the biochemistry and biomechanics of numerous biological processes in health and disease. Spheroids and organoids are 3D culture platforms that self-assemble and regenerate from stem cells, tissue progenitor cells or cell lines, and that show great potential for studying tissue development and regeneration. Organ-on-a-chip approaches can be used to achieve spatiotemporal control over the biochemical and biomechanical signals that promote tissue growth and differentiation. These 3D model systems can be engineered to serve as disease models and used for drug screens. While culture methods have been developed to support these 3D structures, challenges remain to completely recapitulate the cell-cell and cell-matrix biomechanical interactions occurring in vivo. Understanding how forces influence the functions of cells in these 3D systems will require precise tools to measure such forces, as well as a better understanding of the mechanobiology of cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions. Biosensors will prove powerful for measuring forces in both of these contexts, thereby leading to a better understanding of how mechanical forces influence biological systems at the cellular and tissue levels. Here, we discussed how biosensors and mechanobiological research can be coupled to develop accurate, physiologically relevant 3D tissue models to study tissue development, function, malfunction in disease, and avenues for disease intervention.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Sulaiman Yousafzai
- Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - John A. Hammer
- Cell and Developmental Biology Center, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Siddiquie RY, Sharma K, Banerjee A, Agrawal A, Joshi SS. Time-dependent plastic behavior of bacteria leading to rupture. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2023; 145:106048. [PMID: 37523842 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2023.106048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
A study of the mechanical response of bacteria is essential in designing an antibacterial surface for implants and food packaging applications. This research evaluated the mechanical response of Escherichia coli under different loading conditions. Indentation and prolonged creep tests were performed to understand their viscoelastic-plastic response. The results indicate that varying loading rates from 1 μm/s to 5 μm/s show an increase in modulus of 182% and 90%, calculated in the loading and unloading cycles, respectively, and a decrease in adhesion force by 42%. However, on varying loads from 5 nN to 25 nN, nominal change is observed in both modulus and adhesion force. The rupture curve at 100 nN load shows elastic and a small plastic deformation accompanied by a sharp peak indicating the cell wall rupture. The rupture force at the peak was found to be 34.38 ± 5.15 nN, irrespective of the loading rate, making it a failure criterion for bacteria rupture. The creep response of bacteria increases (for 6 s) and then remains constant (for 15 s) with time, indicating that a standard linear solid (SLS) model applies to this behavior. This work attempts to evaluate the mechanical properties of E. coli bacteria focusing on its rupture by contact killing mechanism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reshma Y Siddiquie
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India
| | - Kuldeep Sharma
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India
| | - Anirban Banerjee
- Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India
| | - Amit Agrawal
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India
| | - Suhas S Joshi
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Indore, India.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Automated estimation of cancer cell deformability with machine learning and acoustic trapping. Sci Rep 2022; 12:6891. [PMID: 35477742 PMCID: PMC9046201 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10882-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Cell deformability is a useful feature for diagnosing various diseases (e.g., the invasiveness of cancer cells). Existing methods commonly inflict pressure on cells and observe changes in cell areas, diameters, or thickness according to the degree of pressure. Then, the Young’s moduli (i.e., a measure of deformability) of cells are estimated based on the assumption that the degrees of the changes are inversely proportional to Young’s moduli. However, manual measurements of the physical changes in cells are labor-intensive, and the subjectivity of the operators can intervene during this step, thereby causing considerable uncertainty. Further, because the shapes of cells are nonuniform, we cannot ensure the assumption for linear correlations of physical changes in cells with their deformability. Therefore, this study aims at measuring non-linear elastic moduli of live cells (degrees of cell deformability) automatically by employing conventional neural networks (CNN) and multilayer perceptrons (MLP) while preserving (or enhancing) the accuracy of the manual methods. First, we obtain photomicrographs of cells on multiple pressure levels using single-beam acoustic tweezers, and then, we suggest an image preprocessing method for emphasizing changes in cell areas on the photomicrographs. The CNN model is trained to measure the ratios of the cell area change at each pressure level. Then, we apply the multilayer perceptron (MLP) to learn the correlations of the cell area change ratios according to the pressure levels with cell deformability. The accuracy of the CNN was evaluated using two types of breast cancer cells: MDA-MB-231 (invasive) and MCF-7 (noninvasive). The MLP was assessed using five different beads (Young’s moduli from 0.214 to 9.235 kPa), which provides standardized reference data of the non-linear elastic moduli of live cells. Finally, we validated the practicality of the proposed system by examining whether the non-linear elastic moduli estimated by the proposed system can distinguish invasive breast cancer cells from noninvasive ones.
Collapse
|
10
|
Papadakis L, Karatsis E, Michalakis K, Tsouknidas A. Cellular Biomechanics: Fluid-Structure Interaction Or Structural Simulation? J Biomech 2022; 136:111084. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2022.111084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2021] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
|
11
|
Hang X, He S, Dong Z, Li Y, Huang Z, Zhang Y, Sun H, Lin L, Li H, Wang Y, Liu B, Wu N, Ren T, Fan Y, Lou J, Yang R, Jiang L, Chang L. High-Throughput DNA Tensioner Platform for Interrogating Mechanical Heterogeneity of Single Living Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2106196. [PMID: 35322558 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202106196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Cell mechanical forces play fundamental roles in regulating cellular responses to environmental stimulations. The shortcomings of conventional methods, including force resolution and cellular throughput, make them less accessible to mechanical heterogeneity at the single-cell level. Here, a DNA tensioner platform is introduced with high throughput (>10 000 cells per chip) and pN-level resolution. A microfluidic-based cell array is trapped on "hairpin-structured" DNA tensioners that enable transformation of the mechanical information of living cells into fluorescence signals. By using the platform, one can identify enhanced mechanical forces of drug-resistant cells as compared to their drug-sensitive counterparts, and mechanical differences between metastatic tumor cells in pleural effusion and nonmetastatic histiocytes. Further genetic analysis traces two genes, VEGFA and MINK1, that may play deterministic roles in regulating mechanical heterogeneities. In view of the ubiquity of cells' mechanical forces in the extracellular microenvironment (ECM), this platform shows wide potential to establish links of cellular mechanical heterogeneity to genetic heterogeneity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Hang
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Shiqi He
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Zaizai Dong
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yun Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, and China National Center for Bioinformation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zheng Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, and China National Center for Bioinformation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yanruo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Hong Sun
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Long Lin
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Hu Li
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Bing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research of Ministry of Education, Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 Fucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Nan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research of Ministry of Education, Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 Fucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Tianling Ren
- Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology (BNRist), Institute of Microelectronics, Tsinghua University, No. 30 Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yubo Fan
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Jizhong Lou
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Ruiguo Yang
- Nebraska Center for Integrated Biomolecular Communication, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Lan Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, and China National Center for Bioinformation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Future Technology, and Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lingqian Chang
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Research and Engineering Center of Biomedical Materials, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, China
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Sun W, Gao X, Lei H, Wang W, Cao Y. Biophysical Approaches for Applying and Measuring Biological Forces. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2022; 9:e2105254. [PMID: 34923777 PMCID: PMC8844594 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202105254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Over the past decades, increasing evidence has indicated that mechanical loads can regulate the morphogenesis, proliferation, migration, and apoptosis of living cells. Investigations of how cells sense mechanical stimuli or the mechanotransduction mechanism is an active field of biomaterials and biophysics. Gaining a further understanding of mechanical regulation and depicting the mechanotransduction network inside cells require advanced experimental techniques and new theories. In this review, the fundamental principles of various experimental approaches that have been developed to characterize various types and magnitudes of forces experienced at the cellular and subcellular levels are summarized. The broad applications of these techniques are introduced with an emphasis on the difficulties in implementing these techniques in special biological systems. The advantages and disadvantages of each technique are discussed, which can guide readers to choose the most suitable technique for their questions. A perspective on future directions in this field is also provided. It is anticipated that technical advancement can be a driving force for the development of mechanobiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenxu Sun
- School of SciencesNantong UniversityNantong226019P. R. China
| | - Xiang Gao
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and IntegrationNational Laboratory of Solid State Microstructureand Department of PhysicsCollaborative Innovation Center of Advanced MicrostructuresNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
- Institute of Brain ScienceNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
| | - Hai Lei
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and IntegrationNational Laboratory of Solid State Microstructureand Department of PhysicsCollaborative Innovation Center of Advanced MicrostructuresNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
- Institute of Brain ScienceNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation CenterNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
| | - Wei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and IntegrationNational Laboratory of Solid State Microstructureand Department of PhysicsCollaborative Innovation Center of Advanced MicrostructuresNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
- Institute of Brain ScienceNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
| | - Yi Cao
- Key Laboratory of Intelligent Optical Sensing and IntegrationNational Laboratory of Solid State Microstructureand Department of PhysicsCollaborative Innovation Center of Advanced MicrostructuresNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
- Institute of Brain ScienceNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
- MOE Key Laboratory of High Performance Polymer Materials and TechnologyDepartment of Polymer Science & EngineeringCollege of Chemistry & Chemical EngineeringNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation CenterNanjing UniversityNanjing210023P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Beshay PE, Cortes-Medina MG, Menyhert MM, Song JW. The biophysics of cancer: emerging insights from micro- and nanoscale tools. ADVANCED NANOBIOMED RESEARCH 2022; 2:2100056. [PMID: 35156093 PMCID: PMC8827905 DOI: 10.1002/anbr.202100056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer is a complex and dynamic disease that is aberrant both biologically and physically. There is growing appreciation that physical abnormalities with both cancer cells and their microenvironment that span multiple length scales are important drivers for cancer growth and metastasis. The scope of this review is to highlight the key advancements in micro- and nano-scale tools for delineating the cause and consequences of the aberrant physical properties of tumors. We focus our review on three important physical aspects of cancer: 1) solid mechanical properties, 2) fluid mechanical properties, and 3) mechanical alterations to cancer cells. Beyond posing physical barriers to the delivery of cancer therapeutics, these properties are also known to influence numerous biological processes, including cancer cell invasion and migration leading to metastasis, and response and resistance to therapy. We comment on how micro- and nanoscale tools have transformed our fundamental understanding of the physical dynamics of cancer progression and their potential for bridging towards future applications at the interface of oncology and physical sciences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peter E. Beshay
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | | | - Miles M. Menyhert
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Jonathan W. Song
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210,The Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Chen X, Hughes R, Mullin N, Hawkins RJ, Holen I, Brown NJ, Hobbs JK. Atomic force microscopy reveals the mechanical properties of breast cancer bone metastases. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:18237-18246. [PMID: 34710206 PMCID: PMC8584157 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr03900h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Mechanically dependent processes are essential in cancer metastases. However, reliable mechanical characterization of metastatic cancer remains challenging whilst maintaining the tissue complexity and an intact sample. Using atomic force microscopy, we quantified the micro-mechanical properties of relatively intact metastatic breast tumours and their surrounding bone microenvironment isolated from mice, and compared with other breast cancer models both ex vivo and in vitro. A mechanical distribution of extremely low elastic modulus and viscosity was identified on metastatic tumours, which were significantly more compliant than both 2D in vitro cultured cancer cells and subcutaneous tumour explants. The presence of mechanically distinct metastatic tumour did not result in alterations of the mechanical properties of the surrounding microenvironment at meso-scale distances (>200 μm). These findings demonstrate the utility of atomic force microscopy in studies of complex tissues and provide new insights into the mechanical properties of cancer metastases in bone.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Chen
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, S3 7RH, UK.
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, S10 2RX, UK
- The Krebs Institute, University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Russell Hughes
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, S10 2RX, UK
| | - Nic Mullin
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, S3 7RH, UK.
- The Krebs Institute, University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Rhoda J Hawkins
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, S3 7RH, UK.
- The Krebs Institute, University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Ingunn Holen
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, S10 2RX, UK
| | - Nicola J Brown
- Department of Oncology and Metabolism, University of Sheffield, S10 2RX, UK
| | - Jamie K Hobbs
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, S3 7RH, UK.
- The Krebs Institute, University of Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Adhesion and Stiffness of Detached Breast Cancer Cells In Vitro: Co-Treatment with Metformin and 2-Deoxy-d-glucose Induces Changes Related to Increased Metastatic Potential. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10090873. [PMID: 34571750 PMCID: PMC8465291 DOI: 10.3390/biology10090873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 08/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The process of metastasis is one of the most destructive characteristics of cancer, yet it is still poorly understood. Formation of metastasis comprises several distinct steps: cancer cells first detach from the primary tumor and then enter the bloodstream where they circulate freely in the body and eventually adhere to vessel walls in distant organs where they can form secondary tumors. A recent study discovered that a co-treatment of two common drugs that interfere with cellular metabolism, metformin and 2-deoxy-D-glucose, induced cellular changes resembling those observed in metastasis: the drugs induced detachment of certain breast cancer cells and their proliferation in the floating state. In this study, we investigated if this treatment also induces other changes that are related to metastasis, i.e., if the detached cells are softer and if they are more prone to adhesion than control cells. The results of our in vitro experiments showed that this was indeed the case and thus indicate possible relations between metabolism and metastatic potential. While the results of this study cannot be directly projected to cancers in vivo, they present new observations that can be important for the analysis of cancer cell detachment and anchorage-independent growth. Abstract Metastatic cancer cells can overcome detachment-induced cell death and can proliferate in anchorage-independent conditions. A recent study revealed that a co-treatment with two drugs that interfere with cell metabolism, metformin and 2-deoxy-D-glucose, promotes detachment of viable MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. In the present study, we analyzed if these detached viable MDA-MB-231 cells also exhibit other features related to cancer metastatic potential, i.e., if they are softer and more prone to adhere to epithelial cells. The cell mechanics of attached cells and floating cells were analyzed by optical tweezers and cell deformability cytometry, respectively. The adhesion was assessed on a confluent monolayer of HUVEC cells, with MDA-MB-231 cells either in static conditions or in a microfluidic flow. Additionally, to test if adhesion was affected by the state of the epithelial glycocalyx, HUVEC cells were treated with neuraminidase and tunicamycin. It was found that the treated MDA-MB-231 cells were more prone to adhere to HUVEC cells and that they were softer than the control, both in the floating state and after re-seeding to a substrate. The changes in the HUVEC glycocalyx, however, did not increase the adhesion potential of MDA-MB-231.
Collapse
|
16
|
Papadakis L, Kanakousaki D, Bakopoulou A, Tsouknidas A, Michalakis K. A finite element model of an osteoblast to quantify the transduction of exogenous forces to cellular components. Med Eng Phys 2021; 94:61-69. [PMID: 34303503 DOI: 10.1016/j.medengphy.2021.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2021] [Revised: 06/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Encouraged by recent advances of biophysical and biochemical assays we introduce a 3D finite element model of an osteoblast, seeking an analogue between exogenous forces and intracellularly activated sensory mechanisms. The cell was reverse engineered and the dimensions of the internal cellular structures were based on literature data. The model was verified and validated against atomic force microscopy experiments and four loading scenarios were considered. The stress distributions developing on the main cellular components were calculated along with their corresponding strain values. The nucleus and mitochondria exhibited similar loading trends, with the mitochondria being stressed by an order of magnitude higher than the nucleus (e.g. 1.4 vs. 0.16 MPa). Equivalent stiffness was determined to increase by almost 50%, from the apex to the cell's periphery, as was the cell's elasticity, which was lowest when the load was exerted directly above the nucleus. The assessment of how extrinsic loads are propagated to a cell's internal structures is inherently a problem of high complexity. The findings presented in this study can provide important insight into biophysical and biochemical responses elicited in cells through mechanical stimulus. This was evident in both the nuclear and mitochondrial loading and would stipulate the important contribution of even more accurate models in the interpretation of cellular events. One Sentence Summary: The results of this numerical biomechanical study demonstrated that even minor extrinsic loads irrespective of the application site, are transduced by a fraction of the cytoskeleton to its internal structure (primarily to its mitochondria and secondary to the cell's nucleus), indicating mechanical stimulus as the dominant pathway to cell expression.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Labros Papadakis
- Laboratory for Biomaterials and Computational Mechanics, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, Bakola & Sialvera, GR-50132, Kozani, Greece
| | - Dimitra Kanakousaki
- School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki GR-54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Athina Bakopoulou
- School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki GR-54124, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Alexander Tsouknidas
- Laboratory for Biomaterials and Computational Mechanics, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Western Macedonia, Bakola & Sialvera, GR-50132, Kozani, Greece.
| | - Konstantinos Michalakis
- School of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki GR-54124, Thessaloniki, Greece; Division of Postgraduate Prosthodontics, Tufts University School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA, 02111, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Corsetti S, Dholakia K. Optical manipulation: advances for biophotonics in the 21st century. JOURNAL OF BIOMEDICAL OPTICS 2021; 26:JBO-210127-PER. [PMID: 34235899 PMCID: PMC8262092 DOI: 10.1117/1.jbo.26.7.070602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 06/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
SIGNIFICANCE Optical trapping is a technique capable of applying minute forces that has been applied to studies spanning single molecules up to microorganisms. AIM The goal of this perspective is to highlight some of the main advances in the last decade in this field that are pertinent for a biomedical audience. APPROACH First, the direct determination of forces in optical tweezers and the combination of optical and acoustic traps, which allows studies across different length scales, are discussed. Then, a review of the progress made in the direct trapping of both single-molecules, and even single-viruses, and single cells with optical forces is outlined. Lastly, future directions for this methodology in biophotonics are discussed. RESULTS In the 21st century, optical manipulation has expanded its unique capabilities, enabling not only a more detailed study of single molecules and single cells but also of more complex living systems, giving us further insights into important biological activities. CONCLUSIONS Optical forces have played a large role in the biomedical landscape leading to exceptional new biological breakthroughs. The continuous advances in the world of optical trapping will certainly lead to further exploitation, including exciting in-vivo experiments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stella Corsetti
- University of St Andrews, SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, St. Andrews, United Kingdom
- Address all correspondence to Stella Corsetti,
| | - Kishan Dholakia
- University of St Andrews, SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, St. Andrews, United Kingdom
- University of Adelaide, School of Biological Sciences, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Yonsei University, College of Science, Department of Physics, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Pradhan S, Solomon R, Gangotra A, Yakubov GE, Willmott GR, Whitby CP, Hale TK, Williams MAK. Depletion of HP1α alters the mechanical properties of MCF7 nuclei. Biophys J 2021; 120:2631-2643. [PMID: 34087208 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.05.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 05/11/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Within the nucleus of the eukaryotic cell, DNA is partitioned into domains of highly condensed, transcriptionally silent heterochromatin and less condensed, transcriptionally active euchromatin. Heterochromatin protein 1α (HP1α) is an architectural protein that establishes and maintains heterochromatin, ensuring genome fidelity and nuclear integrity. Although the mechanical effects of changes in the relative amount of euchromatin and heterochromatin brought about by inhibiting chromatin-modifying enzymes have been studied previously, here we measure how the material properties of the nuclei are modified after the knockdown of HP1α. These studies were inspired by the observation that poorly invasive MCF7 breast cancer cells become more invasive after knockdown of HP1α expression and that, indeed, in many solid tumors the loss of HP1α correlates with the onset of tumor cell invasion. Atomic force microscopy (AFM), optical tweezers (OT), and techniques based on micropipette aspiration (MA) were each used to characterize the mechanical properties of nuclei extracted from HP1α knockdown or matched control MCF7 cells. Using AFM or OT to locally indent nuclei, those extracted from MCF7 HP1α knockdown cells were found to have apparent Young's moduli that were significantly lower than nuclei from MCF7 control cells, consistent with previous studies that assert heterochromatin plays a major role in governing the mechanical response in such experiments. In contrast, results from pipette-based techniques in the spirit of MA, in which the whole nuclei were deformed and aspirated into a conical pipette, showed considerably less variation between HP1α knockdown and control, consistent with previous studies reporting that it is predominantly the lamins in the nuclear envelope that determine the mechanical response to large whole-cell deformations. The differences in chromatin organization observed by various microscopy techniques between the MCF7 control and HP1α knockdown nuclei correlate well with the results of our measured mechanical responses and our hypotheses regarding their origin.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susav Pradhan
- School of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand; The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Raoul Solomon
- School of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - Ankita Gangotra
- The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington, New Zealand; Department of Physics, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Gleb E Yakubov
- School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; School of Biosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Geoff R Willmott
- The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington, New Zealand; Department of Physics, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; School of Chemical Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Catherine P Whitby
- School of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand; The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Tracy K Hale
- School of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
| | - Martin A K Williams
- School of Fundamental Sciences, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand; The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, Wellington, New Zealand.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Kar S, Katti DR, Katti KS. Evaluation of quasi-static and dynamic nanomechanical properties of bone-metastatic breast cancer cells using a nanoclay cancer testbed. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3096. [PMID: 33542384 PMCID: PMC7862348 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82664-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, there has been increasing interest in investigating the mechanical properties of individual cells to delineate disease mechanisms. Reorganization of cytoskeleton facilitates the colonization of metastatic breast cancer at bone marrow space, leading to bone metastasis. Here, we report evaluation of mechanical properties of two breast cancer cells with different metastatic ability at the site of bone metastases, using quasi-static and dynamic nanoindentation methods. Our results showed that the significant reduction in elastic modulus along with increased liquid-like behavior of bone metastasized MCF-7 cells was induced by depolymerization and reorganization of F-actin to the adherens junctions, whereas bone metastasized MDA-MB-231 cells showed insignificant changes in elastic modulus and F-actin reorganization over time, compared to their respective as-received counterparts. Taken together, our data demonstrate evolution of breast cancer cell mechanics at bone metastases.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sumanta Kar
- Center for Engineered Cancer Test Beds, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, 58108, USA
| | - Dinesh R Katti
- Center for Engineered Cancer Test Beds, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, 58108, USA
| | - Kalpana S Katti
- Center for Engineered Cancer Test Beds, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND, 58108, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Connolly S, McGourty K, Newport D. The influence of cell elastic modulus on inertial positions in Poiseuille microflows. Biophys J 2021; 120:855-865. [PMID: 33545102 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2021.01.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 01/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Microchannels are used as a transportation highway for suspended cells both in vivo and ex vivo. Lymphatic and cardiovascular systems transfer suspended cells through microchannels within the body, and microfluidic techniques such as lab-on-a-chip devices, flow cytometry, and CAR T-cell therapy utilize microchannels of similar sizes to analyze or separate suspended cells ex vivo. Understanding the forces that cells are subject to while traveling through these channels are important because certain applications exploit these cell properties for cell separation. This study investigated the influence that cytoskeletal impairment has on the inertial positions of circulating cells in laminar pipe flow. Two representative cancer cell lines were treated using cytochalasin D, and their inertial positions were investigated using particle streak imaging and compared between benign and metastatic cell lines. This resulted in a shift in inertial positions between benign and metastatic as well as treated and untreated cells. To determine and quantify the physical changes in the cells that resulted in this migration, staining and nanoindentation techniques were then used to determine the cells' size, circularity, and elastic modulus. It was found that the cells' exposure to cytochalasin D resulted in decreased elastic moduli of cells, with benign and metastatic cells showing decreases of 135 ± 91 and 130 ± 60 Pa, respectively, with no change in either size or shape. This caused benign, stiffer cancer cells to be more evenly distributed across the channel width than metastatic, deformable cancer cells; additionally, a decrease in the elastic moduli of both cell lines resulted in increased migration toward the channel center. These results indicate that the elastic modulus may play more of a part in the inertial migration of such cells than previously thought.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sinead Connolly
- School of Engineering, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Kieran McGourty
- School of Natural Sciences, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland; Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
| | - David Newport
- School of Engineering, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Ren J, Li Y, Hu S, Liu Y, Tsao SW, Lau D, Luo G, Tsang CM, Lam RHW. Nondestructive quantification of single-cell nuclear and cytoplasmic mechanical properties based on large whole-cell deformation. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:4175-4185. [PMID: 33030494 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00725k] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The mechanical properties of cell nuclei have been recognized to reflect and modulate important cell behaviors such as migration and cancer cell malignant tendency. However, these nuclear properties are difficult to characterize accurately using conventional measurement methods, which are often based on probing or deforming local sites over a nuclear region. The corresponding results are sensitive to the measurement position, and they are not decoupled from the cytoplasmic properties. Microfluidics is widely recognized as a promising technique for bioassay and phenotyping. In this report, we develop a simple and nondestructive approach for the single-cell quantification of nuclear elasticity based on microfluidics by considering different deformation levels of a live cell captured along a confining microchannel. We apply two inlet pressure levels to drive the flow of human nasopharyngeal epithelial cells (NP460) and human nasopharyngeal cancerous cells (NPC43) into the microchannels. A model considering the essential intracellular components (cytoplasm and nucleus) for describing the mechanics of a cell deforming along the confining microchannel is used to back-calculate the cytoplasmic and nuclear properties. On the other hand, we also apply a widely used chemical nucleus extraction technique to examine its possible effects (e.g., reduced nuclear modulus and reduced lamin A/C expression). To determine if the decoupled nuclear properties are representative of cancer-related attributes, we classify the NP460 and NPC43 cells using the decoupled physical properties as classification factors, resulting in an accuracy of 79.1% and a cell-type specificity exceeding 74%. It should be mentioned that the cells can be recollected at the device outlet after the nondestructive measurement. Hence, the reported cell elasticity measurement can be combined with downstream genetic and biochemical assays for general cell research and cancer diagnostic applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jifeng Ren
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Yongshu Li
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Shuhuan Hu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. and BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen 518083, Guangdong, China and Guangdong High-Throughput Sequencing Research Center, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Sai Wah Tsao
- School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Denvid Lau
- Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Guannan Luo
- Department of Economics and Finance, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chi Man Tsang
- Department of Anatomical and Cellular Pathology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Raymond H W Lam
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. and City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China and Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Affiliation(s)
- Irit Rosenhek‐Goldian
- Department of Chemical Research Support Weizmann Institute of Science Herzl 234 Rehovot ISRAEL
| | - Sidney R. Cohen
- Department of Chemical Research Support Weizmann Institute of Science Herzl 234 Rehovot ISRAEL
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Grexa I, Fekete T, Molnár J, Molnár K, Vizsnyiczai G, Ormos P, Kelemen L. Single-Cell Elasticity Measurement with an Optically Actuated Microrobot. MICROMACHINES 2020; 11:mi11090882. [PMID: 32972024 PMCID: PMC7570390 DOI: 10.3390/mi11090882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/20/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
A cell elasticity measurement method is introduced that uses polymer microtools actuated by holographic optical tweezers. The microtools were prepared with two-photon polymerization. Their shape enables the approach of the cells in any lateral direction. In the presented case, endothelial cells grown on vertical polymer walls were probed by the tools in a lateral direction. The use of specially shaped microtools prevents the target cells from photodamage that may arise during optical trapping. The position of the tools was recorded simply with video microscopy and analyzed with image processing methods. We critically compare the resulting Young’s modulus values to those in the literature obtained by other methods. The application of optical tweezers extends the force range available for cell indentations measurements down to the fN regime. Our approach demonstrates a feasible alternative to the usual vertical indentation experiments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- István Grexa
- Biological Research Centre, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (I.G.); (T.F.); (J.M.); (K.M.); (G.V.); (P.O.)
- Doctoral School of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Szeged, Korányi fasor 10, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Tamás Fekete
- Biological Research Centre, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (I.G.); (T.F.); (J.M.); (K.M.); (G.V.); (P.O.)
- Doctoral School of Multidisciplinary Medicine, Dóm tér 9, Hungary University of Szeged, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Judit Molnár
- Biological Research Centre, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (I.G.); (T.F.); (J.M.); (K.M.); (G.V.); (P.O.)
| | - Kinga Molnár
- Biological Research Centre, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (I.G.); (T.F.); (J.M.); (K.M.); (G.V.); (P.O.)
- Doctoral School of Theoretical Medicine, University of Szeged, Korányi fasor 10, 6720 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Gaszton Vizsnyiczai
- Biological Research Centre, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (I.G.); (T.F.); (J.M.); (K.M.); (G.V.); (P.O.)
| | - Pál Ormos
- Biological Research Centre, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (I.G.); (T.F.); (J.M.); (K.M.); (G.V.); (P.O.)
| | - Lóránd Kelemen
- Biological Research Centre, Temesvári krt. 62, 6726 Szeged, Hungary; (I.G.); (T.F.); (J.M.); (K.M.); (G.V.); (P.O.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +36-62-599-600 (ext. 419)
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Lim HG, Liu HC, Yoon CW, Jung H, Kim MG, Yoon C, Kim HH, Shung KK. Investigation of cell mechanics using single-beam acoustic tweezers as a versatile tool for the diagnosis and treatment of highly invasive breast cancer cell lines: an in vitro study. MICROSYSTEMS & NANOENGINEERING 2020; 6:39. [PMID: 34567652 PMCID: PMC8433385 DOI: 10.1038/s41378-020-0150-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2019] [Revised: 02/10/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Advancements in diagnostic systems for metastatic cancer over the last few decades have played a significant role in providing patients with effective treatment by evaluating the characteristics of cancer cells. Despite the progress made in cancer prognosis, we still rely on the visual analysis of tissues or cells from histopathologists, where the subjectivity of traditional manual interpretation persists. This paper presents the development of a dual diagnosis and treatment tool using an in vitro acoustic tweezers platform with a 50 MHz ultrasonic transducer for label-free trapping and bursting of human breast cancer cells. For cancer cell detection and classification, the mechanical properties of a single cancer cell were quantified by single-beam acoustic tweezers (SBAT), a noncontact assessment tool using a focused acoustic beam. Cell-mimicking phantoms and agarose hydrogel spheres (AHSs) served to standardize the biomechanical characteristics of the cells. Based on the analytical comparison of deformability levels between the cells and the AHSs, the mechanical properties of the cells could be indirectly measured by interpolating the Young's moduli of the AHSs. As a result, the calculated Young's moduli, i.e., 1.527 kPa for MDA-MB-231 (highly invasive breast cancer cells), 2.650 kPa for MCF-7 (weakly invasive breast cancer cells), and 2.772 kPa for SKBR-3 (weakly invasive breast cancer cells), indicate that highly invasive cancer cells exhibited a lower Young's moduli than weakly invasive cells, which indicates a higher deformability of highly invasive cancer cells, leading to a higher metastasis rate. Single-cell treatment may also be carried out by bursting a highly invasive cell with high-intensity, focused ultrasound.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hae Gyun Lim
- Department of Creative IT Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673 Republic of Korea
| | - Hsiao-Chuan Liu
- NIH Resource Center for Medical Ultrasonic Transducer Technology and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
| | - Chi Woo Yoon
- NIH Resource Center for Medical Ultrasonic Transducer Technology and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
| | - Hayong Jung
- NIH Resource Center for Medical Ultrasonic Transducer Technology and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
| | - Min Gon Kim
- NIH Resource Center for Medical Ultrasonic Transducer Technology and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
| | - Changhan Yoon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Inje University, Gimhae, Gyeongnam 50834 Republic of Korea
| | - Hyung Ham Kim
- Department of Creative IT Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang, 37673 Republic of Korea
| | - K. Kirk Shung
- NIH Resource Center for Medical Ultrasonic Transducer Technology and Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Lim HG, Lee OJ, Shung KK, Kim JT, Kim HH. Classification of Breast Cancer Cells Using the Integration of High-Frequency Single-Beam Acoustic Tweezers and Convolutional Neural Networks. Cancers (Basel) 2020; 12:cancers12051212. [PMID: 32408544 PMCID: PMC7281163 DOI: 10.3390/cancers12051212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Single-beam acoustic tweezers (SBAT) is a widely used trapping technique to manipulate microscopic particles or cells. Recently, the characterization of a single cancer cell using high-frequency (>30 MHz) SBAT has been reported to determine its invasiveness and metastatic potential. Investigation of cell elasticity and invasiveness is based on the deformability of cells under SBAT’s radiation forces, and in general, more physically deformed cells exhibit higher levels of invasiveness and therefore higher metastatic potential. However, previous imaging analysis to determine substantial differences in cell deformation, where the SBAT is turned ON or OFF, relies on the subjective observation that may vary and requires follow-up evaluations from experts. In this study, we propose an automatic and reliable cancer cell classification method based on SBAT and a convolutional neural network (CNN), which provides objective and accurate quantitative measurement results. We used a custom-designed 50 MHz SBAT transducer to obtain a series of images of deformed human breast cancer cells. CNN-based classification methods with data augmentation applied to collected images determined and validated the metastatic potential of cancer cells. As a result, with the selected optimizers, precision, and recall of the model were found to be greater than 0.95, which highly validates the classification performance of our integrated method. CNN-guided cancer cell deformation analysis using SBAT may be a promising alternative to current histological image analysis, and this pretrained model will significantly reduce the evaluation time for a larger population of cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hae Gyun Lim
- Future IT Innovation Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Korea; (H.G.L.); (O.-J.L.)
| | - O-Joun Lee
- Future IT Innovation Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Korea; (H.G.L.); (O.-J.L.)
| | - K. Kirk Shung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA;
| | - Jin-Taek Kim
- Department of Creative IT Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Korea
- Correspondence: (J.-T.K.); (H.H.K.); Tel.: +82-54-279-8853 (J.-T.K.); +82-54-279-8864 (H.H.K.)
| | - Hyung Ham Kim
- Department of Creative IT Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology, Pohang 37673, Korea
- Correspondence: (J.-T.K.); (H.H.K.); Tel.: +82-54-279-8853 (J.-T.K.); +82-54-279-8864 (H.H.K.)
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Connolly S, Newport D, McGourty K. The mechanical responses of advecting cells in confined flow. BIOMICROFLUIDICS 2020; 14:031501. [PMID: 32454924 PMCID: PMC7200165 DOI: 10.1063/5.0005154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 04/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Fluid dynamics have long influenced cells in suspension. Red blood cells and white blood cells are advected through biological microchannels in both the cardiovascular and lymphatic systems and, as a result, are subject to a wide variety of complex fluidic forces as they pass through. In vivo, microfluidic forces influence different biological processes such as the spreading of infection, cancer metastasis, and cell viability, highlighting the importance of fluid dynamics in the blood and lymphatic vessels. This suggests that in vitro devices carrying cell suspensions may influence the viability and functionality of cells. Lab-on-a-chip, flow cytometry, and cell therapies involve cell suspensions flowing through microchannels of approximately 100-800 μ m. This review begins by examining the current fundamental theories and techniques behind the fluidic forces and inertial focusing acting on cells in suspension, before exploring studies that have investigated how these fluidic forces affect the reactions of suspended cells. In light of these studies' findings, both in vivo and in vitro fluidic cell microenvironments shall also be discussed before concluding with recommendations for the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- S Connolly
- School of Engineering, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick V94 T9PX, Ireland
| | - D Newport
- School of Engineering, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick V94 T9PX, Ireland
| | | |
Collapse
|
27
|
Cognart HA, Viovy JL, Villard C. Fluid shear stress coupled with narrow constrictions induce cell type-dependent morphological and molecular changes in SK-BR-3 and MDA-MB-231 cells. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6386. [PMID: 32286431 PMCID: PMC7156718 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63316-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 03/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Cancer mortality mainly arises from metastases, due to cells that escape from a primary tumor, circulate in the blood as circulating tumor cells (CTCs), permeate across blood vessels and nest in distant organs. It is still unclear how CTCs overcome the harsh conditions of fluid shear stress and mechanical constraints within the microcirculation. Here, a minimal model of the blood microcirculation was established through the fabrication of microfluidic channels comprising constrictions. Metastatic breast cancer cells of epithelial-like and mesenchymal-like phenotypes were flowed into the microfluidic device. These cells were visualized during circulation and analyzed for their dynamical behavior, revealing long-lived plastic deformations and significant differences in biomechanics between cell types. γ-H2AX staining of cells retrieved post-circulation showed significant increase of DNA damage response in epithelial-like SK-BR-3 cells, while gene expression analysis of key regulators of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition revealed significant changes upon circulation. This work thus documents first results of the changes at the cellular, subcellular and molecular scales induced by the two main mechanical stimuli arising from circulatory conditions, and suggest a significant role of this still elusive step of the metastatic cascade in cancer cells heterogeneity and aggressiveness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hamizah Ahmad Cognart
- Institut Curie and Institut Pierre Gilles de Gennes, CNRS, UMR168, Paris, France.,Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Louis Viovy
- Institut Curie and Institut Pierre Gilles de Gennes, CNRS, UMR168, Paris, France.,Université PSL, Paris, France
| | - Catherine Villard
- Institut Curie and Institut Pierre Gilles de Gennes, CNRS, UMR168, Paris, France. .,Université PSL, Paris, France.
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Venturelli L, Kohler AC, Stupar P, Villalba MI, Kalauzi A, Radotic K, Bertacchi M, Dinarelli S, Girasole M, Pešić M, Banković J, Vela ME, Yantorno O, Willaert R, Dietler G, Longo G, Kasas S. A perspective view on the nanomotion detection of living organisms and its features. J Mol Recognit 2020; 33:e2849. [PMID: 32227521 DOI: 10.1002/jmr.2849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2019] [Revised: 03/14/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The insurgence of newly arising, rapidly developing health threats, such as drug-resistant bacteria and cancers, is one of the most urgent public-health issues of modern times. This menace calls for the development of sensitive and reliable diagnostic tools to monitor the response of single cells to chemical or pharmaceutical stimuli. Recently, it has been demonstrated that all living organisms oscillate at a nanometric scale and that these oscillations stop as soon as the organisms die. These nanometric scale oscillations can be detected by depositing living cells onto a micro-fabricated cantilever and by monitoring its displacements with an atomic force microscope-based electronics. Such devices, named nanomotion sensors, have been employed to determine the resistance profiles of life-threatening bacteria within minutes, to evaluate, among others, the effect of chemicals on yeast, neurons, and cancer cells. The data obtained so far demonstrate the advantages of nanomotion sensing devices in rapidly characterizing microorganism susceptibility to pharmaceutical agents. Here, we review the key aspects of this technique, presenting its major applications. and detailing its working protocols.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Venturelli
- Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Vivante, Institut de Physique, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Anne-Céline Kohler
- Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Vivante, Institut de Physique, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Petar Stupar
- Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Vivante, Institut de Physique, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Maria I Villalba
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales (CINDEFI-CONICET-CCT La Plata), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Aleksandar Kalauzi
- Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, Department of Life Sciences, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ksenija Radotic
- Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, Department of Life Sciences, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | | | - Simone Dinarelli
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto di Struttura della Materia, CNR-ISM, Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Girasole
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto di Struttura della Materia, CNR-ISM, Rome, Italy
| | - Milica Pešić
- Department of Neurobiology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković" National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jasna Banković
- Department of Neurobiology, Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković" National Institute of Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Maria E Vela
- Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y Aplicadas (INIFTA-CONICET-CCT La Plata), Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Osvaldo Yantorno
- Centro de Investigación y Desarrollo en Fermentaciones Industriales (CINDEFI-CONICET-CCT La Plata), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina
| | - Ronnie Willaert
- ARG VUB-UGent NanoMicrobiology, IJRG VUB-EPFL BioNanotechnology & NanoMedicine, Structural Biology Brussels, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.,Department of Bioscience Engineering, University of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Giovanni Dietler
- Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Vivante, Institut de Physique, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Giovanni Longo
- Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche - Istituto di Struttura della Materia, CNR-ISM, Rome, Italy
| | - Sandor Kasas
- Laboratoire de Physique de la Matière Vivante, Institut de Physique, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland.,Centre Universitaire Romand de Médecine Légale, UFAM, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Shen T, Shirinzadeh B, Zhong Y, Smith J, Pinskier J, Ghafarian M. Sensing and Modelling Mechanical Response in Large Deformation Indentation of Adherent Cell Using Atomic Force Microscopy. SENSORS 2020; 20:s20061764. [PMID: 32235792 PMCID: PMC7147157 DOI: 10.3390/s20061764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2020] [Revised: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The mechanical behaviour of adherent cells when subjected to the local indentation can be modelled via various approaches. Specifically, the tensegrity structure has been widely used in describing the organization of discrete intracellular cytoskeletal components, including microtubules (MTs) and microfilaments. The establishment of a tensegrity model for adherent cells has generally been done empirically, without a mathematically demonstrated methodology. In this study, a rotationally symmetric prism-shaped tensegrity structure is introduced, and it forms the basis of the proposed multi-level tensegrity model. The modelling approach utilizes the force density method to mathematically assure self-equilibrium. The proposed multi-level tensegrity model was developed by densely distributing the fundamental tensegrity structure in the intracellular space. In order to characterize the mechanical behaviour of the adherent cell during the atomic force microscopy (AFM) indentation with large deformation, an integrated model coupling the multi-level tensegrity model with a hyperelastic model was also established and applied. The coefficient of determination between the computational force-distance (F-D) curve and the experimental F-D curve was found to be at 0.977 in the integrated model on average. In the simulation range, along with the increase in the overall deformation, the local stiffness contributed by the cytoskeletal components decreased from 75% to 45%, while the contribution from the hyperelastic components increased correspondingly.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tianyao Shen
- Robotics and Mechatronics Research Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (B.S.); (J.P.); (M.G.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +61-04-5249-2096
| | - Bijan Shirinzadeh
- Robotics and Mechatronics Research Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (B.S.); (J.P.); (M.G.)
| | - Yongmin Zhong
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC 3083, Australia;
| | - Julian Smith
- Department of Surgery, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia;
| | - Joshua Pinskier
- Robotics and Mechatronics Research Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (B.S.); (J.P.); (M.G.)
| | - Mohammadali Ghafarian
- Robotics and Mechatronics Research Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia; (B.S.); (J.P.); (M.G.)
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Connolly S, McGourty K, Newport D. The in vitro inertial positions and viability of cells in suspension under different in vivo flow conditions. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1711. [PMID: 32015362 PMCID: PMC6997401 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58161-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 12/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The influence of Poiseuille flow on cell viability has applications in the areas of cancer metastasis, lab-on-a-chip devices and flow cytometry. Indeed, retaining cell viability is important in the emerging field of cell therapy as cells need to be returned to patients’ bodies. Despite this, it is unclear how this fundamental fluid regime affects cell viability. This study investigated the influence that varying flow rate, and the corresponding wall shear stress (τw) has on the viability and inertial positions of circulating cells in laminar pipe flow. The viability of two representative cell lines under different shear stresses in two different systems were investigated while particle streak imaging was used to determine their inertial positions. It was found that peristaltic pumps have a negative effect on cell viability in comparison to syringe pumps. Increasing shear stress in a cone and plate above 3 Pa caused an increase in cell death, however, τw as high as 10 Pa in circulation has little to no effect on cell viability. Inertial lift forces that move cells towards the centre of the channel protect them from experiencing detrimental levels of τw, indicating that τw in Poiseuille flow is not a good predictor of cell viability during advection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sinead Connolly
- School of Engineering, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Kieran McGourty
- School of Natural Sciences, Bernal Institute, Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
| | - David Newport
- School of Engineering, Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Song Y, Soto J, Chen B, Yang L, Li S. Cell engineering: Biophysical regulation of the nucleus. Biomaterials 2020; 234:119743. [PMID: 31962231 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2019.119743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 12/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Cells live in a complex and dynamic microenvironment, and a variety of microenvironmental cues can regulate cell behavior. In addition to biochemical signals, biophysical cues can induce not only immediate intracellular responses, but also long-term effects on phenotypic changes such as stem cell differentiation, immune cell activation and somatic cell reprogramming. Cells respond to mechanical stimuli via an outside-in and inside-out feedback loop, and the cell nucleus plays an important role in this process. The mechanical properties of the nucleus can directly or indirectly modulate mechanotransduction, and the physical coupling of the cell nucleus with the cytoskeleton can affect chromatin structure and regulate the epigenetic state, gene expression and cell function. In this review, we will highlight the recent progress in nuclear biomechanics and mechanobiology in the context of cell engineering, tissue remodeling and disease development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Song
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; School of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Jennifer Soto
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Binru Chen
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Li Yang
- School of Bioengineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China
| | - Song Li
- Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA; Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Gosenca Matjaž M, Škarabot M, Gašperlin M, Janković B. Lamellar liquid crystals maintain keratinocytes' membrane fluidity: An AFM qualitative and quantitative study. Int J Pharm 2019; 572:118712. [PMID: 31593808 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpharm.2019.118712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Despite extensive investigations of lamellar liquid crystals for dermal application, the effects of these systems at the cellular level are still not well elucidated. The key aim of this study was to determine the elasticity and morphological features of keratinocytes after exposure to a lamellar liquid crystal system (LLCS) using atomic force microscopy (AFM) as the method of choice. Prior to AFM assessment, a cell proliferation test and light plus fluorescence imaging were applied to determine the sub-toxic concentration of LLCS. According to the AFM results, slightly altered morphology was observed in the case of fixed keratinocytes, while an intact morphology was visualized on live cells. From the quantitative study, decreased Young's moduli were determined for fixed cells (i.e., 8.6 vs. 15.2 MPa and 1.3 vs. 2.9 MPa for ethanol or PFA-fixed LLCS-treated vs. control cells, respectively) and live cells (i.e., ranging from 0.6 to 2.8 for LLCS-treated vs. 1.1-4.5 MPa for untreated cells), clearly demonstrating increased cell elasticity. This is related to improved membrane fluidity as a consequence of interactions between the acyl chains of cell membrane phosphatidylcholine and those of LLCS. What seems to be of major importance is that the study confirms the potential clinical relevance of such systems in treatment of aged skin with characteristically more rigid epithelial cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mirjam Gosenca Matjaž
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva cesta 7, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Miha Škarabot
- Jožef Stefan Institute, Department of Condensed Matter Physics, Jamova cesta 39, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Mirjana Gašperlin
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva cesta 7, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Biljana Janković
- University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Pharmacy, Aškerčeva cesta 7, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Leartprapun N, Iyer RR, Mackey CD, Adie SG. Spatial localization of mechanical excitation affects spatial resolution, contrast, and contrast-to-noise ratio in acoustic radiation force optical coherence elastography. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2019; 10:5877-5904. [PMID: 31799053 PMCID: PMC6865116 DOI: 10.1364/boe.10.005877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/06/2019] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
The notion that a spatially confined mechanical excitation would produce an elastogram with high spatial resolution has motivated the development of various elastography techniques with localized mechanical excitation. However, a quantitative investigation of the effects of spatial localization of mechanical excitation on the spatial resolution of elastograms is still lacking in optical coherence elastography (OCE). Here, we experimentally investigated the effect of spatial localization of acoustic radiation force (ARF) excitation on spatial resolution, contrast, and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of dynamic uniaxial strain elastograms in dynamic ARF-OCE, based on a framework for analyzing the factors that influence the quality of the elastogram at different stages of the elastography workflow. Our results show that localized ARF excitation with a smaller acoustic focal spot size produced a strain elastogram with superior spatial resolution, contrast, and CNR. Our results also suggest that the spatial extent spanned by the displacement response in the sample may connect between the spatial localization of the mechanical excitation and the resulting elastogram quality. The elastography framework and experimental approach presented here may provide a basis for the quantitative analysis of elastogram quality in OCE that can be adapted and applied to different OCE systems and applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nichaluk Leartprapun
- Cornell University, Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Weill Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Rishyashring R. Iyer
- Cornell University, Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Weill Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
- Present address: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, Illinois 61801, USA
| | - Colin D. Mackey
- Cornell University, Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Weill Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| | - Steven G. Adie
- Cornell University, Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Weill Hall, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
Arbore C, Perego L, Sergides M, Capitanio M. Probing force in living cells with optical tweezers: from single-molecule mechanics to cell mechanotransduction. Biophys Rev 2019; 11:765-782. [PMID: 31612379 PMCID: PMC6815294 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-019-00599-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The invention of optical tweezers more than three decades ago has opened new avenues in the study of the mechanical properties of biological molecules and cells. Quantitative force measurements still represent a challenging task in living cells due to the complexity of the cellular environment. Here, we review different methodologies to quantitatively measure the mechanical properties of living cells, the strength of adhesion/receptor bonds, and the active force produced during intracellular transport, cell adhesion, and migration. We discuss experimental strategies to attain proper calibration of optical tweezers and molecular resolution in living cells. Finally, we show recent studies on the transduction of mechanical stimuli into biomolecular and genetic signals that play a critical role in cell health and disease.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Arbore
- LENS - European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy, Via Nello Carrara 1, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Laura Perego
- LENS - European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy, Via Nello Carrara 1, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Marios Sergides
- LENS - European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy, Via Nello Carrara 1, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy
| | - Marco Capitanio
- LENS - European Laboratory for Non-linear Spectroscopy, Via Nello Carrara 1, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence, Via Sansone 1, 50019, Sesto Fiorentino, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Hymel SJ, Lan H, Fujioka H, Khismatullin DB. Cell trapping in Y-junction microchannels: A numerical study of the bifurcation angle effect in inertial microfluidics. PHYSICS OF FLUIDS (WOODBURY, N.Y. : 1994) 2019; 31:082003. [PMID: 31406457 PMCID: PMC6688893 DOI: 10.1063/1.5113516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The majority of microfluidic technologies for cell sorting and isolation involve bifurcating (e.g., Y- or T-shaped junction) microchannels to trap the cells of a specific type. However, the microfluidic trapping efficiency remains low, independently of whether the cells are separated by a passive or an active sorting method. Using a custom computational algorithm, we studied the migration of separated deformable cells in a Y-junction microchannel, with a bifurcation angle ranging from 30° to 180°. Single or two cells of initially spherical shape were considered under flow conditions corresponding to inertial microfluidics. Through the numerical simulation, we identified the effects of cell size, cytoplasmic viscoelasticity, cortical tension, flow rate, and bifurcation angle on the critical separation distance for cell trapping. The results of this study show that the trapping and isolation of blood cells, and circulating tumor cells in a Y-junction microchannel was most efficient and least dependent on the flow rate at the bifurcation angle of 120°. At this angle, the trapping efficiency for white blood cells and circulating tumor cells increased, respectively, by 46% and 43%, in comparison with the trapping efficiency at 60°. The efficiency to isolate invasive tumor cells from noninvasive ones increased by 32%. This numerical study provides important design criteria to optimize microfluidic technology for deformability-based cell sorting and isolation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hongzhi Lan
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305, USA
| | - Hideki Fujioka
- Center for Computational Science, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana 70118, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
36
|
Planar AFM macro-probes to study the biomechanical properties of large cells and 3D cell spheroids. Acta Biomater 2019; 94:505-513. [PMID: 31154056 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2019.05.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Revised: 05/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The ability to measure mechanical response of cells under applied load is essential for developing more accurate models of cell mechanics and mechanotransduction. Living cells have been mechanically investigated by several approaches. Among them, atomic force microscopy (AFM) is widely used thanks to its high versatility and sensitivity. In the case of large cells or 3D multicellular aggregates, standard AFM probes may not be appropriate to investigate the mechanical properties of the whole biological system. Owing to their size, standard AFM probes can compress only a single somatic cell or part of it. To fill this gap, we have designed and fabricated planar AFM macro-probes compatible with commercial AFM instruments. The probes are constituted of a large flat compression plate, connected to the chip by two flexible arms, whose mechanical characteristics are tuned for specific biological applications. As proof of concept, we have used the macro-probes to measure the viscoelasticity of large spherical biological systems, which have a diameter above 100 μm: human oocytes and 3D cell spheroids. Compression experiments are combined with visual inspection, using a side-view configuration imaging, which allows us to monitor the sample morphology during the compression and to correlate it with the viscoelastic parameters. Our measurements provide a quantitative estimate of the relaxation times of such biological systems, which are discussed in relation to data present in literature. The broad applicability of the AFM macro-probes can be relevant to study the biomechanical features in any biological process involving large soft materials. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The understanding of the role of physical factors in defining cell and tissue functions requires to develop new methods or improve the existing ones to accurately measure the biomechanical properties. AFM is a sensitive and versatile tool to measure the mechanical features from single proteins to single cells. When cells or cell aggregates exceed few tens of microns, AFM suffers from limitations. On these biological systems the control of the contact area and the application of a precise uniform compression becomes crucial. A modification of the standard cantilevers fabrication allowed us obtaining AFM macro-probes, having large planar contact area and spring constant suitable for biological investigations. They were demonstrated valuable to characterize the mechanical properties of large hierarchical biological systems.
Collapse
|
37
|
Mierke CT. The matrix environmental and cell mechanical properties regulate cell migration and contribute to the invasive phenotype of cancer cells. REPORTS ON PROGRESS IN PHYSICS. PHYSICAL SOCIETY (GREAT BRITAIN) 2019; 82:064602. [PMID: 30947151 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6633/ab1628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The minimal structural unit of a solid tumor is a single cell or a cellular compartment such as the nucleus. A closer look inside the cells reveals that there are functional compartments or even structural domains determining the overall properties of a cell such as the mechanical phenotype. The mechanical interaction of these living cells leads to the complex organization such as compartments, tissues and organs of organisms including mammals. In contrast to passive non-living materials, living cells actively respond to the mechanical perturbations occurring in their microenvironment during diseases such as fibrosis and cancer. The transformation of single cancer cells in highly aggressive and hence malignant cancer cells during malignant cancer progression encompasses the basement membrane crossing, the invasion of connective tissue, the stroma microenvironments and transbarrier migration, which all require the immediate interaction of the aggressive and invasive cancer cells with the surrounding extracellular matrix environment including normal embedded neighboring cells. All these steps of the metastatic pathway seem to involve mechanical interactions between cancer cells and their microenvironment. The pathology of cancer due to a broad heterogeneity of cancer types is still not fully understood. Hence it is necessary to reveal the signaling pathways such as mechanotransduction pathways that seem to be commonly involved in the development and establishment of the metastatic and mechanical phenotype in several carcinoma cells. We still do not know whether there exist distinct metastatic genes regulating the progression of tumors. These metastatic genes may then be activated either during the progression of cancer by themselves on their migration path or in earlier stages of oncogenesis through activated oncogenes or inactivated tumor suppressor genes, both of which promote the metastatic phenotype. In more detail, the adhesion of cancer cells to their surrounding stroma induces the generation of intracellular contraction forces that deform their microenvironments by alignment of fibers. The amplitude of these forces can adapt to the mechanical properties of the microenvironment. Moreover, the adhesion strength of cancer cells seems to determine whether a cancer cell is able to migrate through connective tissue or across barriers such as the basement membrane or endothelial cell linings of blood or lymph vessels in order to metastasize. In turn, exposure of adherent cancer cells to physical forces, such as shear flow in vessels or compression forces around tumors, reinforces cell adhesion, regulates cell contractility and restructures the ordering of the local stroma matrix that leads subsequently to secretion of crosslinking proteins or matrix degrading enzymes. Hence invasive cancer cells alter the mechanical properties of their microenvironment. From a mechanobiological point-of-view, the recognized physical signals are transduced into biochemical signaling events that guide cellular responses such as cancer progression after the malignant transition of cancer cells from an epithelial and non-motile phenotype to a mesenchymal and motile (invasive) phenotype providing cellular motility. This transition can also be described as the physical attempt to relate this cancer cell transitional behavior to a T1 phase transition such as the jamming to unjamming transition. During the invasion of cancer cells, cell adaptation occurs to mechanical alterations of the local stroma, such as enhanced stroma upon fibrosis, and therefore we need to uncover underlying mechano-coupling and mechano-regulating functional processes that reinforce the invasion of cancer cells. Moreover, these mechanisms may also be responsible for the awakening of dormant residual cancer cells within the microenvironment. Physicists were initially tempted to consider the steps of the cancer metastasis cascade as single events caused by a single mechanical alteration of the overall properties of the cancer cell. However, this general and simple view has been challenged by the finding that several mechanical properties of cancer cells and their microenvironment influence each other and continuously contribute to tumor growth and cancer progression. In addition, basement membrane crossing, cell invasion and transbarrier migration during cancer progression is explained in physical terms by applying physical principles on living cells regardless of their complexity and individual differences of cancer types. As a novel approach, the impact of the individual microenvironment surrounding cancer cells is also included. Moreover, new theories and models are still needed to understand why certain cancers are malignant and aggressive, while others stay still benign. However, due to the broad variety of cancer types, there may be various pathways solely suitable for specific cancer types and distinct steps in the process of cancer progression. In this review, physical concepts and hypotheses of cancer initiation and progression including cancer cell basement membrane crossing, invasion and transbarrier migration are presented and discussed from a biophysical point-of-view. In addition, the crosstalk between cancer cells and a chronically altered microenvironment, such as fibrosis, is discussed including the basic physical concepts of fibrosis and the cellular responses to mechanical stress caused by the mechanically altered microenvironment. Here, is highlighted how biophysical approaches, both experimentally and theoretically, have an impact on classical hallmarks of cancer and fibrosis and how they contribute to the understanding of the regulation of cancer and its progression by sensing and responding to the physical environmental properties through mechanotransduction processes. Finally, this review discusses various physical models of cell migration such as blebbing, nuclear piston, protrusive force and unjamming transition migration modes and how they contribute to cancer progression. Moreover, these cellular migration modes are influenced by microenvironmental perturbances such as fibrosis that can induce mechanical alterations in cancer cells, which in turn may impact the environment. Hence, the classical hallmarks of cancer need to be refined by including biomechanical properties of cells, cell clusters and tissues and their microenvironment to understand mechano-regulatory processes within cancer cells and the entire organism.
Collapse
|
38
|
Lee G, Han SB, Lee JH, Kim HW, Kim DH. Cancer Mechanobiology: Microenvironmental Sensing and Metastasis. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2019; 5:3735-3752. [PMID: 33405888 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.8b01230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The cellular microenvironment plays an important role in regulating cancer progress. Cancer can physically and chemically remodel its surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). Critical cellular behaviors such as recognition of matrix geometry and rigidity, cell polarization and motility, cytoskeletal reorganization, and proliferation can be changed as a consequence of these ECM alternations. Here, we present an overview of cancer mechanobiology in detail, focusing on cancer microenvironmental sensing of exogenous cues and quantification of cancer-substrate interactions. In addition, mechanics of metastasis classified with tumor progression will be discussed. The mechanism underlying cancer mechanosensation and tumor progression may provide new insights into therapeutic strategies to alleviate cancer malignancy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- GeonHui Lee
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Seong-Beom Han
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| | - Jung-Hwan Lee
- Institute of Tissue Regeneration Engineering (ITREN), Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, South Korea.,Department of Biomaterials Science, College of Dentistry, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, South Korea
| | - Hae-Won Kim
- Institute of Tissue Regeneration Engineering (ITREN), Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, South Korea.,Department of Biomaterials Science, College of Dentistry, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, South Korea.,Department of Nanobiomedical Science and BK21 PLUS Global Research Center for Regenerative Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan 31116, South Korea
| | - Dong-Hwee Kim
- KU-KIST Graduate School of Converging Science and Technology, Korea University, Seoul, 02841, South Korea
| |
Collapse
|
39
|
Matellan C, Del Río Hernández AE. Where No Hand Has Gone Before: Probing Mechanobiology at the Cellular Level. ACS Biomater Sci Eng 2018; 5:3703-3719. [PMID: 33405886 DOI: 10.1021/acsbiomaterials.8b01206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Physical forces and other mechanical stimuli are fundamental regulators of cell behavior and function. Cells are also biomechanically competent: they generate forces to migrate, contract, remodel, and sense their environment. As the knowledge of the mechanisms of mechanobiology increases, the need to resolve and probe increasingly small scales calls for novel technologies to mechanically manipulate cells, examine forces exerted by cells, and characterize cellular biomechanics. Here, we review novel methods to quantify cellular force generation, measure cell mechanical properties, and exert localized piconewton and nanonewton forces on cells, receptors, and proteins. The combination of these technologies will provide further insight on the effect of mechanical stimuli on cells and the mechanisms that convert these stimuli into biochemical and biomechanical activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlos Matellan
- Cellular and Molecular Biomechanics Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| | - Armando E Del Río Hernández
- Cellular and Molecular Biomechanics Laboratory, Department of Bioengineering, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
40
|
Basoli F, Giannitelli SM, Gori M, Mozetic P, Bonfanti A, Trombetta M, Rainer A. Biomechanical Characterization at the Cell Scale: Present and Prospects. Front Physiol 2018; 9:1449. [PMID: 30498449 PMCID: PMC6249385 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2018.01449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2018] [Accepted: 09/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapidly growing field of mechanobiology demands for robust and reproducible characterization of cell mechanical properties. Recent achievements in understanding the mechanical regulation of cell fate largely rely on technological platforms capable of probing the mechanical response of living cells and their physico–chemical interaction with the microenvironment. Besides the established family of atomic force microscopy (AFM) based methods, other approaches include optical, magnetic, and acoustic tweezers, as well as sensing substrates that take advantage of biomaterials chemistry and microfabrication techniques. In this review, we introduce the available methods with an emphasis on the most recent advances, and we discuss the challenges associated with their implementation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Basoli
- Department of Engineering, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Manuele Gori
- Department of Engineering, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Pamela Mozetic
- Center for Translational Medicine, International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital, Brno, Czechia
| | - Alessandra Bonfanti
- Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Marcella Trombetta
- Department of Engineering, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy
| | - Alberto Rainer
- Department of Engineering, Università Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, Rome, Italy.,Institute for Photonics and Nanotechnologies, National Research Council, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Yang F, Su X, Pi J, Liao K, Zhou H, Sun Y, Liu J, Guo X, Jiang J, Jin H, Cai J, Li T, Liu L. Atomic force microscopy technique used for assessment of the anti-arthritic effect of licochalcone A via suppressing NF-κB activation. Biomed Pharmacother 2018; 103:1592-1601. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2018.04.142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Revised: 04/18/2018] [Accepted: 04/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
|
42
|
Stylianou A, Gkretsi V, Stylianopoulos T. Transforming growth factor-β modulates pancreatic cancer associated fibroblasts cell shape, stiffness and invasion. Biochim Biophys Acta Gen Subj 2018; 1862:1537-1546. [PMID: 29477748 PMCID: PMC5957271 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2018.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Revised: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Tumor microenvironment consists of the extracellular matrix (ECM), stromal cells, such as fibroblasts (FBs) and cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and a myriad of soluble factors. In many tumor types, including pancreatic tumors, the interplay between stromal cells and the other tumor microenvironment components leads to desmoplasia, a cancer-specific type of fibrosis that hinders treatment. Transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) and CAFs are thought to play a crucial role in this tumor desmoplastic reaction, although the involved mechanisms are unknown. METHODS Optical/fluorescence microscopy, atomic force microscopy, image processing techniques, invasion assay in 3D collagen I gels and real-time PCR were employed to investigate the effect of TGF-β on normal pancreatic FBs and CAFs with regard to crucial cellular morphodynamic characteristics and relevant gene expression involved in tumor progression and metastasis. RESULTS CAFs present specific myofibroblast-like characteristics, such as α-smooth muscle actin expression and cell elongation, they also form more lamellipodia and are softer than FBs. TGF-β treatment increases cell stiffness (Young's modulus) of both FBs and CAFs and increases CAF's (but not FB's) elongation, cell spreading, lamellipodia formation and spheroid invasion. Gene expression analysis shows that these morphodynamic characteristics are mediated by Rac, RhoA and ROCK expression in CAFs treated with TGF-β. CONCLUSIONS TGF-β modulates CAFs', but not FBs', cell shape, stiffness and invasion. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE Our findings elucidate on the effects of TGF-β on CAFs' behavior and stiffness providing new insights into the mechanisms involved.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Stylianou
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus
| | - Vasiliki Gkretsi
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus
| | - Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 1678, Cyprus.
| |
Collapse
|
43
|
Falleroni F, Torre V, Cojoc D. Cell Mechanotransduction With Piconewton Forces Applied by Optical Tweezers. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:130. [PMID: 29867363 PMCID: PMC5960674 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanical stresses are always present in the cellular environment and mechanotransduction occurs in all cells. Although many experimental approaches have been developed to investigate mechanotransduction, the physical properties of the mechanical stimulus have yet to be accurately characterized. Here, we propose a mechanical stimulation method employing an oscillatory optical trap to apply piconewton forces perpendicularly to the cell membrane, for short instants. We show that this stimulation produces membrane indentation and induces cellular calcium transients in mouse neuroblastoma NG108-15 cells dependent of the stimulus strength and the number of force pulses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fabio Falleroni
- Neuroscience Area, International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, Italy
| | - Vincent Torre
- Neuroscience Area, International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, Italy
- Cixi Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Zhejiang, China
- Center of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou, China
| | - Dan Cojoc
- Institute of Materials, National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Trieste, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Nautiyal P, Alam F, Balani K, Agarwal A. The Role of Nanomechanics in Healthcare. Adv Healthc Mater 2018; 7. [PMID: 29193838 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.201700793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Nanomechanics has played a vital role in pushing our capability to detect, probe, and manipulate the biological species, such as proteins, cells, and tissues, paving way to a deeper knowledge and superior strategies for healthcare. Nanomechanical characterization techniques, such as atomic force microscopy, nanoindentation, nanotribology, optical tweezers, and other hybrid techniques have been utilized to understand the mechanics and kinetics of biospecies. Investigation of the mechanics of cells and tissues has provided critical information about mechanical characteristics of host body environments. This information has been utilized for developing biomimetic materials and structures for tissue engineering and artificial implants. This review summarizes nanomechanical characterization techniques and their potential applications in healthcare research. The principles and examples of label-free detection of cancers and myocardial infarction by nanomechanical cantilevers are discussed. The vital importance of nanomechanics in regenerative medicine is highlighted from the perspective of material selection and design for developing biocompatible scaffolds. This review interconnects the advancements made in fundamental materials science research and biomedical technology, and therefore provides scientific insight that is of common interest to the researchers working in different disciplines of healthcare science and technology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pranjal Nautiyal
- Nanomechanics and Nanotribology Laboratory Florida International University 10555 West Flagler Street Miami FL 33174 USA
| | - Fahad Alam
- Biomaterials Processing and Characterization Laboratory Department of Materials Science and Engineering Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur Kanpur 208016 India
| | - Kantesh Balani
- Biomaterials Processing and Characterization Laboratory Department of Materials Science and Engineering Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur Kanpur 208016 India
| | - Arvind Agarwal
- Nanomechanics and Nanotribology Laboratory Florida International University 10555 West Flagler Street Miami FL 33174 USA
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
AFM contribution to unveil pro- and eukaryotic cell mechanical properties. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2018; 73:177-187. [DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2017.08.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2017] [Revised: 07/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
|
46
|
Nyberg KD, Hu KH, Kleinman SH, Khismatullin DB, Butte MJ, Rowat AC. Quantitative Deformability Cytometry: Rapid, Calibrated Measurements of Cell Mechanical Properties. Biophys J 2017; 113:1574-1584. [PMID: 28978449 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.06.073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Revised: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Advances in methods that determine cell mechanical phenotype, or mechanotype, have demonstrated the utility of biophysical markers in clinical and research applications ranging from cancer diagnosis to stem cell enrichment. Here, we introduce quantitative deformability cytometry (q-DC), a method for rapid, calibrated, single-cell mechanotyping. We track changes in cell shape as cells deform into microfluidic constrictions, and we calibrate the mechanical stresses using gel beads. We observe that time-dependent strain follows power-law rheology, enabling single-cell measurements of apparent elastic modulus, Ea, and power-law exponent, β. To validate our method, we mechanotype human promyelocytic leukemia (HL-60) cells and thereby confirm q-DC measurements of Ea = 0.53 ± 0.04 kPa. We also demonstrate that q-DC is sensitive to pharmacological perturbations of the cytoskeleton as well as differences in the mechanotype of human breast cancer cell lines (Ea = 2.1 ± 0.1 and 0.80 ± 0.19 kPa for MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cells). To establish an operational framework for q-DC, we investigate the effects of applied stress and cell/pore-size ratio on mechanotype measurements. We show that Ea increases with applied stress, which is consistent with stress stiffening behavior of cells. We also find that Ea increases for larger cell/pore-size ratios, even when the same applied stress is maintained; these results indicate strain stiffening and/or dependence of mechanotype on deformation depth. Taken together, the calibrated measurements enabled by q-DC should advance applications of cell mechanotype in basic research and clinical settings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kendra D Nyberg
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Kenneth H Hu
- Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Sara H Kleinman
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | | | - Manish J Butte
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Amy C Rowat
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Los Angeles, California; UCLA Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of California, Los Angeles, California; Broad Stem Cell Research Center, University of California, Los Angeles, California; Center for Biological Physics, University of California, Los Angeles, California.
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Yousafzai MS, Coceano G, Bonin S, Niemela J, Scoles G, Cojoc D. Investigating the effect of cell substrate on cancer cell stiffness by optical tweezers. J Biomech 2017; 60:266-269. [PMID: 28712542 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiomech.2017.06.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Revised: 06/20/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The mechanical properties of cells are influenced by their microenvironment. Here we report cell stiffness alteration by changing the cell substrate stiffness for isolated cells and cells in contact with other cells. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is used to prepare soft substrates with three different stiffness values (173, 88 and 17kPa respectively). Breast cancer cells lines, namely HBL-100, MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 with different level of aggressiveness are cultured on these substrates and their local elasticity is investigated by vertical indentation of the cell membrane. Our preliminary results show an unforeseen behavior of the MDA-MB-231 cells. When cultured on glass substrate as isolated cells, they are less stiff than the other two types of cells, in agreement with the general statement that more aggressive and metastatic cells are softer. However, when connected to other cells the stiffness of MDA-MB-231 cells becomes similar to the other two cell lines. Moreover, the stiffness of MDA-MB-231 cells cultured on soft PDMS substrates is significantly higher than the stiffness of the other cell types, demonstrating thus the strong influence of the environmental conditions on the mechanical properties of the cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Sulaiman Yousafzai
- Institute of Materials (IOM-CNR), Area Science Park, Basovizza, S.S. 14, Km 163.5, 34149 Trieste, Italy; The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Giovanna Coceano
- Department of Applied Physics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Serena Bonin
- Department of Medical Sciences (DSM), University of Trieste, 34149, Italy
| | - Joseph Niemela
- The Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), 34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Giacinto Scoles
- Department of Biological and Medical Science, University of Udine, Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, 33100 Udine, Italy
| | - Dan Cojoc
- Institute of Materials (IOM-CNR), Area Science Park, Basovizza, S.S. 14, Km 163.5, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
48
|
Hadjialirezaei S, Picco G, Beatson R, Burchell J, Stokke BT, Sletmoen M. Interactions between the breast cancer-associated MUC1 mucins and C-type lectin characterized by optical tweezers. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175323. [PMID: 28414807 PMCID: PMC5393574 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Carbohydrate–protein interactions govern many crucial processes in biological systems including cell recognition events. We have used the sensitive force probe optical tweezers to quantify the interactions occurring between MGL lectins and MUC1 carrying the cancer-associated glycan antigens mucins Tn and STn. Unbinding forces of 7.6±1.1 pN and 7.1±1.1 pN were determined for the MUC1(Tn)—MGL and MUC1(STn)—MGL interactions, at a force loading rate of ~40 pN/s. The interaction strength increased with increasing force loading rate, to 27.1±4.4 and 36.9±3.6 pN at a force loading rate of ~ 310 pN/s. No interactions were detected between MGL and MUC1(ST), a glycoform of MUC1 also expressed by breast carcinoma cells. Interestingly, this glycan (ST) can be found on proteins expressed by normal cells, although in this case not on MUC1. Additionally, GalNAc decorated polyethylene glycol displayed similar rupture forces as observed for MUC1(Tn) and MUC1(STn) when forced to unbind from MGL, indicating that GalNAc is an essential group in these interactions. Since the STn glycan decoration is more frequently found on the surface of carcinomas than the Tn glycan, the binding of MUC1 carrying STn to MGL may be more physiologically relevant and may be in part responsible for some of the characteristics of STn expressing tumours.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Soosan Hadjialirezaei
- Biophysics and Medical Technology, Department of Physics, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Gianfranco Picco
- Breast Cancer Biology, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Richard Beatson
- Breast Cancer Biology, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joy Burchell
- Breast Cancer Biology, King’s College London, Guy’s Hospital, London, United Kingdom
| | - Bjørn Torger Stokke
- Biophysics and Medical Technology, Department of Physics, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Marit Sletmoen
- Department of Biotechnology, NTNU Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- * E-mail:
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Ciasca G, Sassun TE, Minelli E, Antonelli M, Papi M, Santoro A, Giangaspero F, Delfini R, De Spirito M. Nano-mechanical signature of brain tumours. NANOSCALE 2016; 8:19629-19643. [PMID: 27853793 DOI: 10.1039/c6nr06840e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Glioblastoma (GBM) and meningothelial meningioma (MM) are the most frequent malignant and benign brain lesions, respectively. Mechanical cues play a major role in the progression of both malignancies that is modulated by the occurrence of aberrant physical interactions between neoplastic cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Here we investigate the nano-mechanical properties of human GBM and MM tissues by atomic force microscopy. Our measures unveil the mechanical fingerprint of the main hallmark features of both lesions, such as necrosis in GBM and dural infiltration in MM. These findings have the potential to positively impact on the development of novel AFM-based diagnostic methods to assess the tumour grade. Most importantly, they provide a quantitative description of the tumour-induced mechanical modifications in the brain ECM, thus being of potential help in the search for novel ECM targets for brain tumours and especially for GBM that, despite years of intense research, has still very limited therapeutic options.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Ciasca
- Istituto di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| | - Tanya Enny Sassun
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Division of Neurosurgery, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 155 Rome, Italy 00161
| | - Eleonora Minelli
- Istituto di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| | - Manila Antonelli
- Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Anatomical Pathology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Papi
- Istituto di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| | - Antonio Santoro
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Division of Neurosurgery, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 155 Rome, Italy 00161
| | - Felice Giangaspero
- Department of Radiological Sciences, Oncology and Anatomical Pathology, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Roberto Delfini
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry, Division of Neurosurgery, Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, Viale del Policlinico, 155 Rome, Italy 00161
| | - Marco De Spirito
- Istituto di Fisica, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 00168 Rome, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Abdelhady HG, Abdel-Salam HA, Niazy EM, Mueller A, Quast MJ, Effat AM, Elbehairi SEI. Spatiotemporal PFQNM visualization of the effect of suicide dendriplexes on dividing HeLa cells. NANOMEDICINE-NANOTECHNOLOGY BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2016; 12:2365-2371. [PMID: 27389145 DOI: 10.1016/j.nano.2016.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 05/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/09/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Suicide gene delivery is significant in cancer therapy but has not been fully investigated on a cellular scale. Here, Peak Force Quantitative Nanomechanical atomic force microscopy (PFQNM-AFM) was applied to visualize the effect of herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase dendriplexes (G4AcFaHSTK) on the morphological and nanomechanical properties of individual live and dividing HeLa cells. Cells were then exposed to G4AcFaHSTK, followed by ganciclovir, and directly imaged by real-time PFQNM-AFM. Cell membrane liquefaction, cytoplasmic shrinkage, and cytoskeleton structure loss were observed during cell division. The average Young's modulus of the nuclear region increased with time as the cell continued from metaphase (6.29 kPa) to telophase (13.6 kPa) and then decreased (2.25 kPa) upon apoptosis. In contrast, cells exposed to either ganciclovir or G4AcFaHSTK alone have no changes. Thus, understanding the real-time effects of suicide dendriplexes on the cytoskeletal and nanomechanical behaviors of cancer cells may provide new methods for cancer treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hosam G Abdelhady
- Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, College of Pharmacy-Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia; Bioavailability Center, National Organization for Drug Control and Research, Agouza, Giza, Egypt.
| | - Hassan A Abdel-Salam
- Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, College of Pharmacy-Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia; Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Esmaeel M Niazy
- Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, College of Pharmacy-Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Anja Mueller
- Department of Chemistry, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA
| | - Matthew J Quast
- Department of Chemistry, Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI, USA
| | - Ahmed M Effat
- Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, College of Pharmacy-Taibah University, Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Serag-Eldin I Elbehairi
- Cell Culture Laboratory, Egyptian Organization for Biological Products and Vaccines, Agouza, Giza, Egypt; Biology Department, Faculty of Science, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|