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Vela-Alcántara AM, Santiago-García J, Barragán-Palacios M, León-Chacón A, Domínguez-Pantoja M, Barceinas-Dávila I, Juárez-Aguilar E, Tamariz E. Differential modulation of cell morphology, migration, and Neuropilin-1 expression in cancer and non-cancer cell lines by substrate stiffness. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1352233. [PMID: 38903533 PMCID: PMC11188430 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1352233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Physical changes in the tumor microenvironment, such as increased stiffness, regulate cancer hallmarks and play an essential role in gene expression, cell morphology, migration, and malignancy. However, the response of cancer cells to stiffness is not homogeneous and varies depending on the cell type and its mechanosensitivity. In this study, we investigated the differential responses of cervical (HeLa) and prostate (PC-3) cancer cell lines, as well as non-tumoral cell lines (HEK293 and HPrEC), to stiffness using polyacrylamide hydrogels mimicking normal and tumoral tissues. We analyzed cell morphology, migration, and the expression of neuropilin 1 (NRP1), a receptor involved in angiogenesis, cell migration, and extracellular matrix remodeling, known to be associated with cancer progression and poor prognosis. Our findings reveal that NRP1 expression increases on substrates mimicking the high stiffness characteristic of tumoral tissue in the non-tumoral cell lines HPrEC and HEK293. Conversely, in tumoral PC-3 cells, stiffness resembling normal prostate tissue induces an earlier and more sustained expression of NRP1. Furthermore, we observed that stiffness influences cell spreading, pseudopodia formation, and the mode of cell protrusion during migration. Soft substrates predominantly trigger bleb cell protrusion, while pseudopodia protrusions increase on substrates mimicking normal and tumor-like stiffnesses in HPrEC cells compared to PC-3 cells. Stiffer substrates also enhance the percentage of migratory cells, as well as their velocity and total displacement, in both non-tumoral and tumoral prostate cells. However, they only improve the persistence of migration in tumoral PC-3 cells. Moreover, we found that NRP1 co-localizes with actin, and its suppression impairs tumoral PC-3 spreading while decreasing pseudopodia protrusion mode. Our results suggest that the modulation of NRP1 expression by the stiffness can be a feedback loop to promote malignancy in non-tumoral and cancer cells, contingent upon the mechanosensitivity of the cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Monserrat Vela-Alcántara
- Programa de Doctorado en Ciencias de la Salud, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
- Laboratorio de Cultivo Celular, Departamento de Biomedicina, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Juan Santiago-García
- Laboratorio de Biología Molecular, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Madeleine Barragán-Palacios
- Laboratorio de Cultivo Celular, Departamento de Biomedicina, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
- Programa de Maestría en Ciencias de la Salud, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Aylin León-Chacón
- Laboratorio de Cultivo Celular, Departamento de Biomedicina, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
| | | | - Irene Barceinas-Dávila
- Laboratorio de Cultivo Celular, Departamento de Biomedicina, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
- Programa de Maestría en Ciencias de la Salud, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Enrique Juárez-Aguilar
- Laboratorio de Cultivo Celular, Departamento de Biomedicina, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
| | - Elisa Tamariz
- Laboratorio de Cultivo Celular, Departamento de Biomedicina, Instituto de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico
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2
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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.
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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
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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.
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3
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Kretschmer M, Mamistvalov R, Sprinzak D, Vollmar AM, Zahler S. Matrix stiffness regulates Notch signaling activity in endothelial cells. J Cell Sci 2023; 136:286810. [PMID: 36718783 DOI: 10.1242/jcs.260442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Notch signaling is critical for many developmental and disease-related processes. It is widely accepted that Notch has a mechanotransduction module that regulates receptor cleavage. However, the role of biomechanical properties of the cellular environment in Notch signaling in general is still poorly understood. During angiogenesis, differentiation of endothelial cells into tip and stalk cells is regulated by Notch signaling, and remodeling of the extracellular matrix occurs. We investigated the influence of substrate stiffness on the Notch signaling pathway in endothelial cells. Using stiffness-tuned polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates, we show that activity of the Notch signaling pathway inversely correlates with a physiologically relevant range of substrate stiffness (i.e. increased Notch signaling activity on softer substrates). Trans-endocytosis of the Notch extracellular domain, but not the overall endocytosis, is regulated by substrate stiffness, and integrin cell-matrix connections are both stiffness dependent and influenced by Notch signaling. We conclude that mechanotransduction of Notch activation is modulated by substrate stiffness, highlighting the role of substrate rigidity as an important cue for signaling. This might have implications in pathological situations associated with stiffening of the extracellular matrix, such as tumor growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maibritt Kretschmer
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstraße 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Rose Mamistvalov
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - David Sprinzak
- The George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Angelika M Vollmar
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstraße 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Stefan Zahler
- Department of Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Butenandtstraße 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany
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4
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Simsek H, Klotzsch E. The solid tumor microenvironment-Breaking the barrier for T cells: How the solid tumor microenvironment influences T cells: How the solid tumor microenvironment influences T cells. Bioessays 2022; 44:e2100285. [PMID: 35393714 DOI: 10.1002/bies.202100285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Revised: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) plays a pivotal role in the behavior and development of solid tumors as well as shaping the immune response against them. As the tumor cells proliferate, the space they occupy and their physical interactions with the surrounding tissue increases. The growing tumor tissue becomes a complex dynamic structure, containing connective tissue, vascular structures, and extracellular matrix (ECM) that facilitates stimulation, oxygenation, and nutrition, necessary for its fast growth. Mechanical cues such as stiffness, solid stress, interstitial fluid pressure (IFP), matrix density, and microarchitecture influence cellular functions and ultimately tumor progression and metastasis. In this fight, our body is equipped with T cells as its spearhead against tumors. However, the altered biochemical and mechanical environment of the tumor niche affects T cell efficacy and leads to their exhaustion. Understanding the mechanobiological properties of the TME and their effects on T cells is key for developing novel adoptive tumor immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasan Simsek
- Institute for Biology, Experimental Biophysics/Mechanobiology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Enrico Klotzsch
- Institute for Biology, Experimental Biophysics/Mechanobiology, Humboldt University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany.,Laboratory of Applied Mechanobiology, Department for Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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5
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Jin B, Kong W, Zhao X, Chen S, Sun Q, Feng J, Song D, Han D. Substrate stiffness affects the morphology, proliferation, and radiosensitivity of cervical squamous carcinoma cells. Tissue Cell 2021; 74:101681. [PMID: 34837739 DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2021.101681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Cervical cancer is associated with the highest morbidity rate among gynecological cancers. Radiotherapy plays an important role in the treatment of cervical cancer. However, a considerable number of patients are radiation resistant, leading to a poor prognosis. Matrix stiffness is related to the occurrence, development, and chemoresistance of solid tumors. The association between matrix stiffness and radiosensitivity in cervical cancer cells remains unknown. Here, we sought to determine the effect of matrix stiffness on the phenotype and radiosensitivity of cervical cancer cells. Cervical squamous carcinoma SiHa cells were grown on substrates of different stiffnesses (0.5, 5, and 25 kPa). Cell morphology, proliferation, and radiosensitivity were examined. Cells grown on hard substrates displayed stronger proliferative activity, larger size, and higher differentiation degree, which was reflected in a more mature skeleton assembly, more abundant pseudopodia formation, and smaller nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio. In addition, SiHa cells exhibited stiffness-dependent resistance to radiation, possibly via altered apoptosis-related protein expression. Our findings demonstrate that matrix stiffness affects the morphology, proliferation, and radiosensitivity of SiHa cells. Tissue stiffness may be an indicator of the sensitivity of a patient to radiotherapy. Thus, the data provide insights into the diagnosis of cervical cancer and the design of future radiotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bixia Jin
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, 100006, China
| | - Weimin Kong
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, 100006, China.
| | - Xuanyu Zhao
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, 100006, China
| | - Shuning Chen
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, 100006, China
| | - Quanmei Sun
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Jiantao Feng
- Artemisinin Research Center, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100700, China
| | - Dan Song
- Department of Gynecologic Oncology, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Beijing, 100006, China
| | - Dong Han
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) Center for Excellence in Nanoscience, National Center for Nanoscience and Technology, Beijing, 100190, China
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6
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Olubowale O, Biswas S, Azom G, Prather BL, Owoso SD, Rinee KC, Marroquin K, Gates KA, Chambers MB, Xu A, Garno JC. "May the Force Be with You!" Force-Volume Mapping with Atomic Force Microscopy. ACS OMEGA 2021; 6:25860-25875. [PMID: 34660949 PMCID: PMC8515370 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.1c03829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Information of the chemical, mechanical, and electrical properties of materials can be obtained using force volume mapping (FVM), a measurement mode of scanning probe microscopy (SPM). Protocols have been developed with FVM for a broad range of materials, including polymers, organic films, inorganic materials, and biological samples. Multiple force measurements are acquired with the FVM mode within a defined 3D volume of the sample to map interactions (i.e., chemical, electrical, or physical) between the probe and the sample. Forces of adhesion, elasticity, stiffness, deformation, chemical binding interactions, viscoelasticity, and electrical properties have all been mapped at the nanoscale with FVM. Subsequently, force maps can be correlated with features of topographic images for identifying certain chemical groups presented at a sample interface. The SPM tip can be coated to investigate-specific reactions; for example, biological interactions can be probed when the tip is coated with biomolecules such as for recognition of ligand-receptor pairs or antigen-antibody interactions. This review highlights the versatility and diverse measurement protocols that have emerged for studies applying FVM for the analysis of material properties at the nanoscale.
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7
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Stoycheva D, Simsek H, Weber W, Hauser AE, Klotzsch E. External cues to drive B cell function towards immunotherapy. Acta Biomater 2021; 133:222-230. [PMID: 33636402 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2021.02.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Immunotherapy stands out as a powerful and promising therapeutic strategy in the treatment of cancer, infections, and autoimmune diseases. Adoptive immune therapies are usually centered on modified T cells and their specific expansion towards antigen-specific T cells against cancer and other diseases. However, despite their unmatched features, the potential of B cells in immunotherapy is just beginning to be explored. The main role of B cells in the immune response is to secrete antigen-specific antibodies and provide long-term protection against foreign pathogens. They further function as antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and secrete pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and thus exert positive and negative regulatory stimuli on other cells involved in the immune response such as T cells. Therefore, while hyperactivation of B cells can cause autoimmunity, their dysfunctions lead to severe immunodeficiencies. Only suitably activated B cells can play an active role in the treatment of cancers, infections, and autoimmune diseases. As a result, studies have focused on B cell-targeted immunotherapies in recent years. For this, the development, functions, interactions with the microenvironment, and clinical importance of B cells should be well understood. In this review, we summarize the main events during B cell activation. From the viewpoint of mechanobiology we discuss the translation of external cues such as surface topology, substrate stiffness, and biochemical signaling into B cell functions. We further dive into current B cell-targeted therapy strategies and their clinical applications. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: B cells are proving as a promising tool in the field of immunotherapy. B cells exhibit various functions such as antibody production, antigen presentation or secretion of immune-regulatory factors which can be utilized in the fight against oncological or immunological disorders. In this review we discuss the importance of external mechanobiological cues such as surface topology, substrate stiffness, and biochemical signaling on B cell function. We further summarize B cell-targeted therapy strategies and their clinical applications, as in the context of anti-tumor responses and autoimmune diseases.
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8
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Wang X, Wang Y, Zhang Z, Huang M, Fei Y, Ma J, Mi L. Discriminating different grades of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia based on label-free phasor fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2020; 11:1977-1990. [PMID: 32341861 PMCID: PMC7173885 DOI: 10.1364/boe.386999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
This study proposed label-free fluorescence lifetime imaging and phasor analysis methods to discriminate different grades of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). The human cervical tissue lesions associated with cellular metabolic abnormalities were detected by the status changes of important coenzymes in cells and tissues, reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) (NAD(P)H) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) was used to study human cervical tissues, human cervical epithelial cells, and standard samples. Phasor analysis was applied to reveal the interrelation between the metabolic changes and cancer development, which can distinguish among different stages of cervical lesions from low risk to high risk. This approach also possessed high sensitivity, especially for healthy sites of CIN3 tissues, and indicated the dominance of the glycolytic pathway over oxidative phosphorylation in high-grade cervical lesions. This highly adaptive, sensitive, and rapid diagnostic tool exhibits a great potential for cervical precancer diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Wang
- Department of Optical Science and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-precision Optical Manufacturing, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (Ministry of Education), Green Photoelectron Platform, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
- Contributed equally
| | - Yulan Wang
- Department of Gynecology, The Central Hospital of Wuhan, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430014, China
- Contributed equally
| | - Zixiao Zhang
- Department of Optical Science and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-precision Optical Manufacturing, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (Ministry of Education), Green Photoelectron Platform, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Maojia Huang
- Department of Optical Science and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-precision Optical Manufacturing, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (Ministry of Education), Green Photoelectron Platform, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Yiyan Fei
- Department of Optical Science and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-precision Optical Manufacturing, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (Ministry of Education), Green Photoelectron Platform, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Jiong Ma
- Department of Optical Science and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-precision Optical Manufacturing, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (Ministry of Education), Green Photoelectron Platform, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
- Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, Academy for Engineer and Technology, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
- The Multiscale Research Institute of Complex Systems (MRICS), School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
| | - Lan Mi
- Department of Optical Science and Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Ultra-precision Optical Manufacturing, Key Laboratory of Micro and Nano Photonic Structures (Ministry of Education), Green Photoelectron Platform, Fudan University, 220 Handan Road, Shanghai 200433, China
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9
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Peñuela LA, Fulcheri E, Vellone VG, Fiocca R, Vigliercio GM, Raiteri R, Ferrero S. Atomic force microscopy: a promising aid in diagnosis of uterine smooth muscle neoplasms. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2019; 221:362-364. [PMID: 31121140 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2019.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/14/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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10
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Stylianou A, Kontomaris SV, Grant C, Alexandratou E. Atomic Force Microscopy on Biological Materials Related to Pathological Conditions. SCANNING 2019; 2019:8452851. [PMID: 31214274 PMCID: PMC6535871 DOI: 10.1155/2019/8452851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 02/23/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) is an easy-to-use, powerful, high-resolution microscope that allows the user to image any surface and under any aqueous condition. AFM has been used in the investigation of the structural and mechanical properties of a wide range of biological matters including biomolecules, biomaterials, cells, and tissues. It provides the capacity to acquire high-resolution images of biosamples at the nanoscale and allows at readily carrying out mechanical characterization. The capacity of AFM to image and interact with surfaces, under physiologically relevant conditions, is of great importance for realistic and accurate medical and pharmaceutical applications. The aim of this paper is to review recent trends of the use of AFM on biological materials related to health and sickness. First, we present AFM components and its different imaging modes and we continue with combined imaging and coupled AFM systems. Then, we discuss the use of AFM to nanocharacterize collagen, the major fibrous protein of the human body, which has been correlated with many pathological conditions. In the next section, AFM nanolevel surface characterization as a tool to detect possible pathological conditions such as osteoarthritis and cancer is presented. Finally, we demonstrate the use of AFM for studying other pathological conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), through the investigation of amyloid fibrils and viruses, respectively. Consequently, AFM stands out as the ideal research instrument for exploring the detection of pathological conditions even at very early stages, making it very attractive in the area of bio- and nanomedicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Stylianou
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Nicosia 2238, Cyprus
| | - Stylianos-Vasileios Kontomaris
- Mobile Radio Communications Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Iroon Polytechniou, Athens 15780, Greece
- Athens Metropolitan College, Sorou 74, Marousi 15125, Greece
| | - Colin Grant
- Hitachi High-Technologies Europe, Techspace One, Keckwick Lane, Warrington WA4 4AB, UK
| | - Eleni Alexandratou
- Biomedical Optics and Applied Biophysics Laboratory, School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Iroon Polytechniou, Athens 15780, Greece
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11
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Stylianou A, Lekka M, Stylianopoulos T. AFM assessing of nanomechanical fingerprints for cancer early diagnosis and classification: from single cell to tissue level. NANOSCALE 2018; 10:20930-20945. [PMID: 30406223 DOI: 10.1039/c8nr06146g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Cancer development and progression are closely associated with changes both in the mechano-cellular phenotype of cancer and stromal cells and in the extracellular matrix (ECM) structure, composition, and mechanics. In this paper, we review the use of atomic force microscopy (AFM) as a tool for assessing the nanomechanical fingerprints of solid tumors, so as to be potentially used as a diagnostic biomarker for more accurate identification and early cancer grading/classification. The development of such a methodology is expected to provide new insights and a novel approach for cancer diagnosis. We propose that AFM measurements could be employed to complement standard biopsy procedures, offering an objective, novel and quantitative diagnostic approach with the properties of a blind assay, allowing unbiased evaluation of the sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Stylianou
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Cyprus.
| | - Malgorzata Lekka
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL-31342 Kraków, Poland.
| | - Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos
- Cancer Biophysics Laboratory, Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of Cyprus, Cyprus.
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12
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Chemotherapeutic resistance: a nano-mechanical point of view. Biol Chem 2018; 399:1433-1446. [DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2018-0274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
AbstractChemotherapeutic resistance is one of the main obstacles for cancer remission. To understand how cancer cells acquire chemotherapeutic resistance, biochemical studies focusing on drug target alteration, altered cell proliferation, and reduced susceptibility to apoptosis were performed. Advances in nano-mechanobiology showed that the enhanced mechanical deformability of cancer cells accompanied by cytoskeletal alteration is a decisive factor for cancer development. Furthermore, atomic force microscopy (AFM)–based nano-mechanical studies showed that chemotherapeutic treatments reinforced the mechanical stiffness of drug-sensitive cancer cells. However, drug-resistant cancer cells did not show such mechanical responses following chemotherapeutic treatments. Interestingly, drug-resistant cancer cells are mechanically heterogeneous, with a subpopulation of resistant cells showing higher stiffness than their drug-sensitive counterparts. The signaling pathways involving Rho, vinculin, and myosin II were found to be responsible for these mechanical alterations in drug-resistant cancer cells. In the present review, we highlight the mechanical aspects of chemotherapeutic resistance, and suggest how mechanical studies can contribute to unravelling the multifaceted nature of chemotherapeutic resistance.
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Zemła J, Stachura T, Gross-Sondej I, Górka K, Okoń K, Pyka-Fościak G, Soja J, Sładek K, Lekka M. AFM-based nanomechanical characterization of bronchoscopic samples in asthma patients. J Mol Recognit 2018; 31:e2752. [PMID: 30019775 DOI: 10.1002/jmr.2752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Asthma is not a single disease, but recently, it is considered as a syndrome characterized through various clinical presentations and different etiopathologies. Large degree of the disease heterogeneity manifests in distinct characteristics that translate into variability of properties at single cell and molecular levels. Here, we conducted measurements of mechanical properties of bronchial tissue samples collected from patients suffering from asthma. The results obtained from different applied protocols for sample preparation may indicate that deep freezing and storage in liquid nitrogen, followed by consecutive unfreezing of tissue samples, preserve tissue mechanical properties as indicated by a parameter referred here as a tissue relative stiffness index. Tissue relative stiffness index quantifies both the degree of heterogeneity and deformability of tissue samples regarding healthy one. These studies demonstrate that the freezing protocol, optimized towards asthma tissue, can facilitate atomic force microscopy use what, together with recent findings on standardization of elasticity measurements, enables the measurements of large group of samples with minimized influence of errors stemming from the applied methodology of tissue stiffness determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna Zemła
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL-31342, Kraków, Poland
| | - Tomasz Stachura
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Śniadeckich 10, 31-531, Kraków, Poland
| | - Iwona Gross-Sondej
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Śniadeckich 10, 31-531, Kraków, Poland
| | - Karolina Górka
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Śniadeckich 10, 31-531, Kraków, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Okoń
- Department of Pathomorphology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Grzegórzecka 16, 31-531, Kraków, Poland
| | - Grażyna Pyka-Fościak
- Department of Histology, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika 7, 31-034, Kraków, Poland
| | - Jerzy Soja
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Śniadeckich 10, 31-531, Kraków, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Sładek
- 2nd Department of Internal Medicine, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Śniadeckich 10, 31-531, Kraków, Poland
| | - Małgorzata Lekka
- Institute of Nuclear Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, PL-31342, Kraków, Poland
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