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Okorafor CC, Shastri S, Wen K, Ebong EE. Mechanisms of triple-negative breast cancer extravasation: Impact of the physical environment and endothelial glycocalyx. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23785. [PMID: 38949120 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202400380r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Revised: 05/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/20/2024] [Indexed: 07/02/2024]
Abstract
Cancer metastasis is the leading cause of death for those afflicted with cancer. In cancer metastasis, the cancer cells break off from the primary tumor, penetrate nearby blood vessels, and attach and extravasate out of the vessels to form secondary tumors at distant organs. This makes extravasation a critical step of the metastatic cascade. Herein, with a focus on triple-negative breast cancer, the role that the prospective secondary tumor microenvironment's mechanical properties play in circulating tumor cells' extravasation is reviewed. Specifically, the effects of the physically regulated vascular endothelial glycocalyx barrier element, vascular flow factors, and subendothelial extracellular matrix mechanical properties on cancer cell extravasation are examined. The ultimate goal of this review is to clarify the physical mechanisms that drive triple-negative breast cancer extravasation, as these mechanisms may be potential new targets for anti-metastasis therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chinedu C Okorafor
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Sanjana Shastri
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ke Wen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eno E Ebong
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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Patras L, Paul D, Matei IR. Weaving the nest: extracellular matrix roles in pre-metastatic niche formation. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1163786. [PMID: 37350937 PMCID: PMC10282420 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1163786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The discovery that primary tumors condition distant organ sites of future metastasis for seeding by disseminating tumor cells through a process described as the pre-metastatic niche (PMN) formation revolutionized our understanding of cancer progression and opened new avenues for therapeutic interventions. Given the inherent inefficiency of metastasis, PMN generation is crucial to ensure the survival of rare tumor cells in the otherwise hostile environments of metastatic organs. Early on, it was recognized that preparing the "soil" of the distal organ to support the outgrowth of metastatic cells is the initiating event in PMN development, achieved through the remodeling of the organ's extracellular matrix (ECM). Remote restructuring of ECM at future sites of metastasis under the influence of primary tumor-secreted factors is an iterative process orchestrated through the crosstalk between resident stromal cells, such as fibroblasts, epithelial and endothelial cells, and recruited innate immune cells. In this review, we will explore the ECM changes, cellular effectors, and the mechanisms of ECM remodeling throughout PMN progression, as well as its impact on shaping the PMN and ultimately promoting metastasis. Moreover, we highlight the clinical and translational implications of PMN ECM changes and opportunities for therapeutically targeting the ECM to hinder PMN formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Patras
- Children’s Cancer and Blood Foundation Laboratories, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Drukier Institute for Children’s Health, Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Center of Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Doru Paul
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Irina R. Matei
- Children’s Cancer and Blood Foundation Laboratories, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Hematology/Oncology, Drukier Institute for Children’s Health, Meyer Cancer Center, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Center of Systems Biology, Biodiversity and Bioresources, Faculty of Biology and Geology, Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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3
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Prince E, Kheiri S, Wang Y, Xu F, Cruickshank J, Topolskaia V, Tao H, Young EWK, McGuigan AP, Cescon DW, Kumacheva E. Microfluidic Arrays of Breast Tumor Spheroids for Drug Screening and Personalized Cancer Therapies. Adv Healthc Mater 2022; 11:e2101085. [PMID: 34636180 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202101085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
One of the obstacles limiting progress in the development of effective cancer therapies is the shortage of preclinical models that capture the dynamic nature of tumor microenvironments. Interstitial flow strongly impacts tumor response to chemotherapy; however, conventional in vitro cancer models largely disregard this key feature. Here, a proof of principle microfluidic platform for the generation of large arrays of breast tumor spheroids that are grown under close-to-physiological flow in a biomimetic hydrogel is reported. This cancer spheroids-on-a-chip model is used for time- and labor-efficient studies of the effects of drug dose and supply rate on the chemosensitivity of breast tumor spheroids. The capability to grow large arrays of tumor spheroids from patient-derived cells of different breast cancer subtypes is shown, and the correlation between in vivo drug efficacy and on-chip spheroid drug response is demonstrated. The proposed platform can serve as an in vitro preclinical model for the development of personalized cancer therapies and effective screening of new anticancer drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Prince
- Department of Chemistry University of Toronto 80 St. George St Toronto Ontario M5P 2Y2 Canada
| | - Sina Kheiri
- Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering University of Toronto 5 King's College Circle Toronto Ontario M5S 3G8 Canada
| | - Yihe Wang
- Department of Chemistry University of Toronto 80 St. George St Toronto Ontario M5P 2Y2 Canada
| | - Fei Xu
- Department of Chemistry University of Toronto 80 St. George St Toronto Ontario M5P 2Y2 Canada
| | - Jennifer Cruickshank
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre University Health Network 610 University Ave Toronto Ontario M5G 2C1 Canada
| | - Valentina Topolskaia
- Department of Chemistry University of Toronto 80 St. George St Toronto Ontario M5P 2Y2 Canada
| | - Huachen Tao
- Department of Chemistry University of Toronto 80 St. George St Toronto Ontario M5P 2Y2 Canada
| | - Edmond W. K. Young
- Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering University of Toronto 5 King's College Circle Toronto Ontario M5S 3G8 Canada
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering University of Toronto 164 College St Toronto Ontario M5S 3G9 Canada
| | - Alison. P. McGuigan
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering University of Toronto 164 College St Toronto Ontario M5S 3G9 Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry University of Toronto 200 College St Toronto Ontario M5S 3E5 Canada
| | - David W. Cescon
- Princess Margaret Cancer Centre University Health Network 610 University Ave Toronto Ontario M5G 2C1 Canada
| | - Eugenia Kumacheva
- Department of Chemistry University of Toronto 80 St. George St Toronto Ontario M5P 2Y2 Canada
- Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering University of Toronto 164 College St Toronto Ontario M5S 3G9 Canada
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry University of Toronto 200 College St Toronto Ontario M5S 3E5 Canada
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4
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Prince E, Chen Z, Khuu N, Kumacheva E. Nanofibrillar Hydrogel Recapitulates Changes Occurring in the Fibrotic Extracellular Matrix. Biomacromolecules 2021; 22:2352-2362. [PMID: 33783190 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.0c01714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Fibrosis is a pathological condition that leads to excessive deposition of collagen and increased tissue stiffness. Understanding the mechanobiology of fibrotic tissue necessitates the development of effective in vitro models that recapitulate its properties and structure; however, hydrogels that are currently used for this purpose fail to mimic the filamentous structure and mechanical properties of the fibrotic extracellular matrix (ECM). Here, we report a nanofibrillar hydrogel composed of cellulose nanocrystals and gelatin, which addresses this challenge. By altering the composition of the hydrogel, we mimicked the changes in structure, mechanical properties, and chemistry of fibrotic ECM. Furthermore, we decoupled the variations in hydrogel structure, properties, and ligand concentration. We demonstrate that this biocompatible hydrogel supports the three-dimensional culture of cells relevant to fibrotic diseases. This versatile hydrogel can be used for in vitro studies of fibrosis of different tissues, thus enabling the development of novel treatments for fibrotic diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Prince
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 Saint George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3H6
| | - Zhengkun Chen
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 Saint George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3H6
| | - Nancy Khuu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 Saint George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3H6
| | - Eugenia Kumacheva
- Department of Chemistry, University of Toronto, 80 Saint George Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3H6.,Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto, 200 College Street, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3E5.,Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, University of Toronto, 4 Taddle Creek Road, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3G9
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Plou J, Juste-Lanas Y, Olivares V, Del Amo C, Borau C, García-Aznar JM. From individual to collective 3D cancer dissemination: roles of collagen concentration and TGF-β. Sci Rep 2018; 8:12723. [PMID: 30143683 PMCID: PMC6109049 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-30683-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells have the ability to migrate from the primary (original) site to other places in the body. The extracellular matrix affects cancer cell migratory capacity and has been correlated with tissue-specific spreading patterns. However, how the matrix orchestrates these behaviors remains unclear. Here, we investigated how both higher collagen concentrations and TGF-β regulate the formation of H1299 cell (a non-small cell lung cancer cell line) spheroids within 3D collagen-based matrices and promote cancer cell invasive capacity. We show that at low collagen concentrations, tumor cells move individually and have moderate invasive capacity, whereas when the collagen concentration is increased, the formation of cell clusters is promoted. In addition, when the concentration of TGF-β in the microenvironment is lower, most of the clusters are aggregates of cancer cells with a spheroid-like morphology and poor migratory capacity. In contrast, higher concentrations of TGF-β induced the formation of clusters with a notably higher invasive capacity, resulting in clear strand-like collective cell migration. Our results show that the concentration of the extracellular matrix is a key regulator of the formation of tumor clusters that affects their development and growth. In addition, chemical factors create a microenvironment that promotes the transformation of idle tumor clusters into very active, invasive tumor structures. These results collectively demonstrate the relevant regulatory role of the mechano-chemical microenvironment in leading the preferential metastasis of tumor cells to specific tissues with high collagen concentrations and TFG-β activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Plou
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain.
| | - Y Juste-Lanas
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - V Olivares
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - C Del Amo
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - C Borau
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - J M García-Aznar
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza, 50018, Zaragoza, Spain.
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