1
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Prasanna CVS, Jolly MK, Bhat R. Spatial heterogeneity in tumor adhesion qualifies collective cell invasion. Biophys J 2024; 123:1635-1647. [PMID: 38725244 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Collective cell invasion (CCI), a canon of most invasive solid tumors, is an emergent property of the interactions between cancer cells and their surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). However, tumor populations invariably consist of cells expressing variable levels of adhesive proteins that mediate such interactions, disallowing an intuitive understanding of how tumor invasiveness at a multicellular scale is influenced by spatial heterogeneity of cell-cell and cell-ECM adhesion. Here, we have used a Cellular Potts model-based multiscale computational framework that is constructed on the histopathological principles of glandular cancers. In earlier efforts on homogenous cancer cell populations, this framework revealed the relative ranges of interactions, including cell-cell and cell-ECM adhesion that drove collective, dispersed, and mixed multimodal invasion. Here, we constitute a tumor core of two separate cell subsets showing distinct intra- and inter-subset cell-cell or cell-ECM adhesion strengths. These two subsets of cells are arranged to varying extents of spatial intermingling, which we call the heterogeneity index (HI). We observe that low and high inter-subset cell adhesion favors invasion of high-HI and low-HI intermingled populations with distinct intra-subset cell-cell adhesion strengths, respectively. In addition, for explored values of cell-ECM adhesion strengths, populations with high HI values collectively invade better than those with lower HI values. We then asked how spatial invasion is regulated by progressively intermingled cellular subsets that are epithelial, i.e., showed high cell-cell but poor cell-ECM adhesion, and mesenchymal, i.e., with reversed adhesion strengths to the former. Here too, inter-subset adhesion plays an important role in contextualizing the proportionate relationship between HI and invasion. An exception to this relationship is seen for cases of heterogeneous cell-ECM adhesion where sub-maximal HI patterns with higher outer localization of cells with stronger ECM adhesion collectively invade better than their relatively higher-HI counterparts. Our simulations also reveal how adhesion heterogeneity qualifies collective invasion, when either cell-cell or cell-ECM adhesion type is varied but results in an invasive dispersion when both adhesion types are simultaneously altered.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mohit Kumar Jolly
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
| | - Ramray Bhat
- Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India; Department of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
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2
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Shen Y, Ori-McKenney KM. Microtubule-associated protein MAP7 promotes tubulin posttranslational modifications and cargo transport to enable osmotic adaptation. Dev Cell 2024; 59:1553-1570.e7. [PMID: 38574732 DOI: 10.1016/j.devcel.2024.03.022] [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: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
Cells remodel their cytoskeletal networks to adapt to their environment. Here, we analyze the mechanisms utilized by the cell to tailor its microtubule landscape in response to changes in osmolarity that alter macromolecular crowding. By integrating live-cell imaging, ex vivo enzymatic assays, and in vitro reconstitution, we probe the impact of cytoplasmic density on microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) and tubulin posttranslational modifications (PTMs). We find that human epithelial cells respond to fluctuations in cytoplasmic density by modulating microtubule acetylation, detyrosination, or MAP7 association without differentially affecting polyglutamylation, tyrosination, or MAP4 association. These MAP-PTM combinations alter intracellular cargo transport, enabling the cell to respond to osmotic challenges. We further dissect the molecular mechanisms governing tubulin PTM specification and find that MAP7 promotes acetylation and inhibits detyrosination. Our data identify MAP7 in modulating the tubulin code, resulting in microtubule cytoskeleton remodeling and alteration of intracellular transport as an integrated mechanism of cellular adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusheng Shen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kassandra M Ori-McKenney
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA.
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3
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Chen F, Li X, Guo W, Wang Y, Guo M, Shum HC. Size Scaling of Condensates in Multicomponent Phase Separation. J Am Chem Soc 2024; 146:16000-16009. [PMID: 38809420 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.4c02906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Constant proportionalities between cells and their intracellular organelles have been widely observed in various types of cells, known as intracellular size scaling. However, the mechanism underlying the size scaling and its modulation by environmental factors in multicomponent systems remain poorly understood. Here, we study the size scaling of membrane-less condensates using microdroplet-encapsulated minimalistic condensates formed by droplet microfluidics and mean-field theory. We demonstrate that the size scaling of condensates is an inherent characteristic of liquid-liquid phase separation. This concept is supported by experiments showing the occurrence of size scaling phenomena in various condensate systems and a generic lever rule acquired from mean-field theory. Moreover, it is found that the condensate-to-microdroplet scaling ratio can be affected by the solute and salt concentrations, with good agreement between experiments and predictions by theory. Notably, we identify a noise buffering mechanism whereby condensates composed of large macromolecules effectively maintain constant volumes and counteract concentration fluctuations of small molecules. This mechanism is achieved through the dynamic rearrangement of small molecules in and out of membrane-free interfaces. Our work provides crucial insights into understanding mechanistic principles that govern the size of cells and intracellular organelles as well as associated biological functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feipeng Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, the University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR) 999077, China
| | - Xiufeng Li
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR) 999077, China
- College of Food Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wei Guo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, the University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR) 999077, China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR) 999077, China
| | - Yuchao Wang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, the University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR) 999077, China
| | - Ming Guo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Ho Cheung Shum
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, the University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR) 999077, China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR) 999077, China
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4
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Chang Z, Li LY, Shi ZJ, Liu W, Xu GK. Beyond stiffness: Multiscale viscoelastic features as biomechanical markers for assessing cell types and states. Biophys J 2024:S0006-3495(24)00382-5. [PMID: 38835167 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2024.05.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Cell mechanics are pivotal in regulating cellular activities, diseases progression, and cancer development. However, the understanding of how cellular viscoelastic properties vary in physiological and pathological stimuli remains scarce. Here, we develop a hybrid self-similar hierarchical theory-microrheology approach to accurately and efficiently characterize cellular viscoelasticity. Focusing on two key cell types associated with livers fibrosis-the capillarized liver sinusoidal endothelial cells and activated hepatic stellate cells-we uncover a universal two-stage power-law rheology characterized by two distinct exponents, αshort and αlong. The mechanical profiles derived from both exponents exhibit significant potential for discriminating among diverse cells. This finding suggests a potential common dynamic creep characteristic across biological systems, extending our earlier observations in soft tissues. Using a tailored hierarchical model for cellular mechanical structures, we discern significant variations in the viscoelastic properties and their distribution profiles across different cell types and states from the cytoplasm (elastic stiffness E1 and viscosity η), to a single cytoskeleton fiber (elastic stiffness E2), and then to the cell level (transverse expansion stiffness E3). Importantly, we construct a logistic-regression-based machine-learning model using the dynamic parameters that outperforms conventional cell-stiffness-based classifiers in assessing cell states, achieving an area under the curve of 97% vs. 78%. Our findings not only advance a robust framework for monitoring intricate cell dynamics but also highlight the crucial role of cellular viscoelasticity in discerning cell states across a spectrum of liver diseases and prognosis, offering new avenues for developing diagnostic and therapeutic strategies based on cellular viscoelasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuo Chang
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, Department of Engineering Mechanics, State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Li-Ya Li
- Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Zhi-Jun Shi
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, Department of Engineering Mechanics, State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wenjia Liu
- Institute for Stem Cell & Regenerative Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
| | - Guang-Kui Xu
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics and Medical Science, Department of Engineering Mechanics, State Key Laboratory for Strength and Vibration of Mechanical Structures, School of Aerospace Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
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5
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Vos BE, Muenker TM, Betz T. Characterizing intracellular mechanics via optical tweezers-based microrheology. Curr Opin Cell Biol 2024; 88:102374. [PMID: 38824902 DOI: 10.1016/j.ceb.2024.102374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024]
Abstract
Intracellular organization is a highly regulated homeostatic state maintained to ensure eukaryotic cells' correct and efficient functioning. Thanks to decades of research, vast knowledge of the proteins involved in intracellular transport and organization has been acquired. However, how these influence and potentially regulate the intracellular mechanical properties of the cell is largely unknown. There is a deep knowledge gap between the understanding of cortical mechanics, which is accessible by a series of experimental tools, and the intracellular situation that has been largely neglected due to the difficulty of performing intracellular mechanics measurements. Recently, tools required for such quantitative and localized analysis of intracellular mechanics have been introduced. Here, we review how these approaches and the resulting viscoelastic models lead the way to a full mechanical description of the cytoplasm, which is instrumental for a quantitative characterization of the intracellular life of cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart E Vos
- Third Institute of Physics, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Till M Muenker
- Third Institute of Physics, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Timo Betz
- Third Institute of Physics, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany; Cluster of Excellence 'Multiscale Bioimaging: from Molecular Machines to Networks of Excitable Cells' (MBExC), Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany.
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6
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Ang I, Yousafzai MS, Yadav V, Mohler K, Rinehart J, Bouklas N, Murrell M. Elastocapillary effects determine early matrix deformation by glioblastoma cell spheroids. APL Bioeng 2024; 8:026109. [PMID: 38706957 PMCID: PMC11069407 DOI: 10.1063/5.0191765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024] Open
Abstract
During cancer pathogenesis, cell-generated mechanical stresses lead to dramatic alterations in the mechanical and organizational properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM). To date, contraction of the ECM is largely attributed to local mechanical stresses generated during cell invasion, but the impact of "elastocapillary" effects from surface tension on the tumor periphery has not been examined. Here, we embed glioblastoma cell spheroids within collagen gels, as a model of tumors within the ECM. We then modulate the surface tension of the spheroids, such that the spheroid contracts or expands. Surprisingly, in both cases, at the far-field, the ECM is contracted toward the spheroids prior to cellular migration from the spheroid into the ECM. Through computational simulation, we demonstrate that contraction of the ECM arises from a balance of spheroid surface tension, cell-ECM interactions, and time-dependent, poroelastic effects of the gel. This leads to the accumulation of ECM near the periphery of the spheroid and the contraction of the ECM without regard to the expansion or contraction of the spheroid. These results highlight the role of tissue-level surface stresses and fluid flow within the ECM in the regulation of cell-ECM interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida Ang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
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7
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Hansen E, Wang M, Rolling C, Holaska JM. Emerin deficiency drives MCF7 cells to an invasive phenotype. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.21.581379. [PMID: 38712242 PMCID: PMC11071294 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.21.581379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
During metastasis, cancer cells traverse the vasculature by squeezing through very small gaps in the endothelium. Thus, nuclei in metastatic cancer cells must become more malleable to move through these gaps. Our lab showed invasive breast cancer cells have 50% less emerin protein resulting in smaller, misshapen nuclei, and higher metastasis rates than non-cancerous controls. Thus, emerin deficiency was predicted to cause increased nuclear compliance, cell migration, and metastasis. We tested this hypothesis by downregulating emerin in noninvasive MCF7 cells and found emerin knockdown causes smaller, dysmorphic nuclei, resulting in increased impeded cell migration. Emerin reduction in invasive breast cancer cells showed similar results. Supporting the clinical relevance of emerin reduction in cancer progression, our analysis of 192 breast cancer patient samples showed emerin expression inversely correlates with cancer invasiveness. We conclude emerin loss is an important driver of invasive transformation and has utility as a biomarker for tumor progression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Hansen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ
- Molecular and Cell Biology and Neuroscience Program, Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Stratford, NJ
| | - Matthew Wang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ
- Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine
| | - Christal Rolling
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ
- Molecular and Cell Biology and Neuroscience Program, Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Stratford, NJ
| | - James M. Holaska
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ
- Molecular and Cell Biology and Neuroscience Program, Rowan-Virtua School of Translational Biomedical Engineering and Sciences, Stratford, NJ
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8
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Chang J, Saraswathibhatla A, Song Z, Varma S, Sanchez C, Alyafei NHK, Indana D, Slyman R, Srivastava S, Liu K, Bassik MC, Marinkovich MP, Hodgson L, Shenoy V, West RB, Chaudhuri O. Cell volume expansion and local contractility drive collective invasion of the basement membrane in breast cancer. NATURE MATERIALS 2024; 23:711-722. [PMID: 37957268 PMCID: PMC11185842 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-023-01716-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Breast cancer becomes invasive when carcinoma cells invade through the basement membrane (BM)-a nanoporous layer of matrix that physically separates the primary tumour from the stroma. Single cells can invade through nanoporous three-dimensional matrices due to protease-mediated degradation or force-mediated widening of pores via invadopodial protrusions. However, how multiple cells collectively invade through the physiological BM, as they do during breast cancer progression, remains unclear. Here we developed a three-dimensional in vitro model of collective invasion of the BM during breast cancer. We show that cells utilize both proteases and forces-but not invadopodia-to breach the BM. Forces are generated from a combination of global cell volume expansion, which stretches the BM, and local contractile forces that act in the plane of the BM to breach it, allowing invasion. These results uncover a mechanism by which cells collectively interact to overcome a critical barrier to metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Chang
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Zhaoqiang Song
- Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Sushama Varma
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Colline Sanchez
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | | | - Dhiraj Indana
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Raleigh Slyman
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sucheta Srivastava
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Katherine Liu
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Michael C Bassik
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - M Peter Marinkovich
- Department of Dermatology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
- Dermatology Service, VA Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Louis Hodgson
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- Gruss-Lipper Biophotonics Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Vivek Shenoy
- Center for Engineering Mechanobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Robert B West
- Department of Pathology, Stanford University Medical Center, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Ovijit Chaudhuri
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
- Chemistry, Engineering, and Medicine for Human Health (ChEM-H), Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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9
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Tang W, Huang J, Pegoraro AF, Zhang JH, Tang Y, Bi D, Kotton DN, Guo M. Nuclear size-regulated emergence of topological packing order on growing human lung alveolospheres. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.04.17.589951. [PMID: 38659777 PMCID: PMC11042317 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.17.589951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Within multicellular living systems, cells coordinate their positions with spatiotemporal accuracy to form various structures, setting the clock to control developmental processes and trigger maturation. These arrangements can be regulated by tissue topology, biochemical cues, as well as mechanical perturbations. However, the fundamental rules of how local cell packing order is regulated in forming three-dimensional (3D) multicellular architectures remain unclear. Furthermore, how cellular coordination evolves during developmental processes, and whether this cell patterning behavior is indicative of more complex biological functions, is largely unknown. Here, using human lung alveolospheres as a model system, by combining experiments and numerical simulations, we find that, surprisingly, cell packing behavior on alveolospheres resembles hard-disk packing but with increased randomness; the stiffer cell nuclei act as the hard disks surrounded by deformable cell bodies. Interestingly, we observe the emergence of topological packing order during alveolosphere growth, as a result of increasing nucleus-to-cell size ratio. Specifically, we find more hexagon-concentrated cellular packing with increasing bond orientational order, indicating a topological gas-to-liquid transition. Additionally, by osmotically changing the compactness of cells on alveolospheres, we observe that the variations in packing order align with the change of nucleus-to-cell size ratio. Together, our findings reveal the underlying rules of cell coordination and topological phases during human lung alveolosphere growth. These static packing characteristics are consistent with cell dynamics, together suggesting that better cellular packing stabilizes local cell neighborhoods and may regulate more complex biological functions such as organ development and cellular maturation.
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10
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Coker ZN, Troyanova-Wood M, Steelman ZA, Ibey BL, Bixler JN, Scully MO, Yakovlev VV. Brillouin microscopy monitors rapid responses in subcellular compartments. PHOTONIX 2024; 5:9. [PMID: 38618142 PMCID: PMC11006764 DOI: 10.1186/s43074-024-00123-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024]
Abstract
Measurements and imaging of the mechanical response of biological cells are critical for understanding the mechanisms of many diseases, and for fundamental studies of energy, signal and force transduction. The recent emergence of Brillouin microscopy as a powerful non-contact, label-free way to non-invasively and non-destructively assess local viscoelastic properties provides an opportunity to expand the scope of biomechanical research to the sub-cellular level. Brillouin spectroscopy has recently been validated through static measurements of cell viscoelastic properties, however, fast (sub-second) measurements of sub-cellular cytomechanical changes have yet to be reported. In this report, we utilize a custom multimodal spectroscopy system to monitor for the very first time the rapid viscoelastic response of cells and subcellular structures to a short-duration electrical impulse. The cytomechanical response of three subcellular structures - cytoplasm, nucleoplasm, and nucleoli - were monitored, showing distinct mechanical changes despite an identical stimulus. Through this pioneering transformative study, we demonstrate the capability of Brillouin spectroscopy to measure rapid, real-time biomechanical changes within distinct subcellular compartments. Our results support the promising future of Brillouin spectroscopy within the broad scope of cellular biomechanics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary N. Coker
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Texas A&M University, 4242 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843 USA
- SAIC, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234 USA
| | | | - Zachary A. Steelman
- Air Force Research Laboratory, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234 USA
| | - Bennett L. Ibey
- Air Force Research Laboratory, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234 USA
| | - Joel N. Bixler
- Air Force Research Laboratory, JBSA Fort Sam Houston, Fort Sam Houston, TX 78234 USA
| | - Marlan O. Scully
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Texas A&M University, 4242 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843 USA
- Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843 USA
| | - Vladislav V. Yakovlev
- Department of Physics & Astronomy, Texas A&M University, 4242 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843 USA
- Institute for Quantum Science and Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843 USA
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Texas A&M University, 3120 TAMU, 101 Bizzell Street, College Station, TX 77843 USA
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11
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Jacob DR, Guiblet WM, Mamayusupova H, Shtumpf M, Ciuta I, Ruje L, Gretton S, Bikova M, Correa C, Dellow E, Agrawal SP, Shafiei N, Drobysevskaja A, Armstrong CM, Lam JDG, Vainshtein Y, Clarkson CT, Thorn GJ, Sohn K, Pradeepa MM, Chandrasekharan S, Brooke GN, Klenova E, Zhurkin VB, Teif VB. Nucleosome reorganisation in breast cancer tissues. Clin Epigenetics 2024; 16:50. [PMID: 38561804 PMCID: PMC10986098 DOI: 10.1186/s13148-024-01656-4] [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: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nucleosome repositioning in cancer is believed to cause many changes in genome organisation and gene expression. Understanding these changes is important to elucidate fundamental aspects of cancer. It is also important for medical diagnostics based on cell-free DNA (cfDNA), which originates from genomic DNA regions protected from digestion by nucleosomes. RESULTS We have generated high-resolution nucleosome maps in paired tumour and normal tissues from the same breast cancer patients using MNase-assisted histone H3 ChIP-seq and compared them with the corresponding cfDNA from blood plasma. This analysis has detected single-nucleosome repositioning at key regulatory regions in a patient-specific manner and common cancer-specific patterns across patients. The nucleosomes gained in tumour versus normal tissue were particularly informative of cancer pathways, with ~ 20-fold enrichment at CpG islands, a large fraction of which marked promoters of genes encoding DNA-binding proteins. The tumour tissues were characterised by a 5-10 bp decrease in the average distance between nucleosomes (nucleosome repeat length, NRL), which is qualitatively similar to the differences between pluripotent and differentiated cells. This effect was correlated with gene activity, differential DNA methylation and changes in local occupancy of linker histone variants H1.4 and H1X. CONCLUSIONS Our study offers a novel resource of high-resolution nucleosome maps in breast cancer patients and reports for the first time the effect of systematic decrease of NRL in paired tumour versus normal breast tissues from the same patient. Our findings provide a new mechanistic understanding of nucleosome repositioning in tumour tissues that can be valuable for patient diagnostics, stratification and monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Divya R Jacob
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Wilfried M Guiblet
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Hulkar Mamayusupova
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Mariya Shtumpf
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Isabella Ciuta
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Luminita Ruje
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Svetlana Gretton
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
- School of Engineering, Arts, Science and Technology, University of Suffolk, James Hehir Building, University Avenue, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP3 0FS, UK
| | - Milena Bikova
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Clark Correa
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Emily Dellow
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Shivam P Agrawal
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Navid Shafiei
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | | | - Chris M Armstrong
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Jonathan D G Lam
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Yevhen Vainshtein
- Fraunhofer-Institut für Grenzflächen- und Bioverfahrenstechnik IGB, Nobelstraße 12, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Christopher T Clarkson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
- University College London, Gower St, Bloomsbury, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Graeme J Thorn
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
- Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London, Charterhouse Square, London, EC1M 6BQ, UK
| | - Kai Sohn
- Fraunhofer-Institut für Grenzflächen- und Bioverfahrenstechnik IGB, Nobelstraße 12, 70569, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Madapura M Pradeepa
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
- Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, E1 2AT, UK
| | - Sankaran Chandrasekharan
- Colchester General Hospital, East Suffolk and North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, Turner Road, Colchester, CO4 5JL, UK
| | - Greg N Brooke
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Elena Klenova
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK
| | - Victor B Zhurkin
- Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Vladimir B Teif
- School of Life Sciences, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, CO4 3SQ, UK.
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12
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Wang J, Zhang B, Chen X, Xin Y, Li K, Zhang C, Tang K, Tan Y. Cell mechanics regulate the migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via JNK signaling. Acta Biomater 2024; 176:321-333. [PMID: 38272199 DOI: 10.1016/j.actbio.2024.01.024] [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: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells, especially those with metastatic competence, show reduced stiffness compared to the non-malignant counterparts. However, it is still unclear whether and how the mechanics of HCC cells influence their migration and invasion. This study reports that HCC cells with enhanced motility show reduced mechanical stiffness and cytoskeleton, suggesting the inverse correlation between cellular stiffness and motility. Through pharmacologic and genetic approaches, inhibiting actomyosin activity reduces HCC cellular stiffness but promotes their migration and invasion, while activating it increases cell stiffness but impairs cell motility. Actomyosin regulates cell motility through the influence on cellular stiffness. Mechanistically, weakening/strengthening cells inhibits/promotes c-Jun N terminal kinase (JNK) phosphorylation, activation/inhibition of which rescues the effects of cell mechanics on their migration and invasion. Further, HCC cancer stem cells (CSCs) exhibit higher motility but lower stiffness than control cells. Increasing CSC stiffness weakens migration and invasion through the activation of JNK signaling. In conclusion, our findings unveil a new regulatory role of actomyosin-mediated cellular mechanics in tumor cell motility and present new evidence to support that tumor cell softening may be one driving force for HCC metastasis. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: Tumor cells progressively become softened during metastasis and low cell stiffness is associated with high metastatic potential. However, it remains unclear whether tumor cell softening is a by-product of or a driving force for tumor progression. This work reports that the stiffness of hepatocellular carcinoma cells is linked to their migration and invasion. Importantly, tumor cell softening promotes migration and invasion, while cell stiffening impairs the mobility. Weakening/strengthening cells inhibits/promotes JNK phosphorylation, activation/inhibition of which rescues the effects of cell mechanics on their migration and invasion ability. Further, stiffening liver cancer stem cells attenuates their motility through activating JNK signaling. In summary, our study uncovers a previously unappreciated role of tumor cell mechanics in migration and invasion and implicates the therapeutic potential of cell mechanics in the mechanotargeting of metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junfan Wang
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518000, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Bai Zhang
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518000, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Xi Chen
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518000, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Ying Xin
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518000, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Keming Li
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518000, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Cunyu Zhang
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518000, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Kai Tang
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518000, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China
| | - Youhua Tan
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518000, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China.
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13
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Yanamandra AK, Zhang J, Montalvo G, Zhou X, Biedenweg D, Zhao R, Sharma S, Hoth M, Lautenschläger F, Otto O, Del Campo A, Qu B. PIEZO1-mediated mechanosensing governs NK-cell killing efficiency and infiltration in three-dimensional matrices. Eur J Immunol 2024; 54:e2350693. [PMID: 38279603 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202350693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells play a vital role in eliminating tumorigenic cells. Efficient locating and killing of target cells in complex three-dimensional (3D) environments are critical for their functions under physiological conditions. However, the role of mechanosensing in regulating NK-cell killing efficiency in physiologically relevant scenarios is poorly understood. Here, we report that the responsiveness of NK cells is regulated by tumor cell stiffness. NK-cell killing efficiency in 3D is impaired against softened tumor cells, whereas it is enhanced against stiffened tumor cells. Notably, the durations required for NK-cell killing and detachment are significantly shortened for stiffened tumor cells. Furthermore, we have identified PIEZO1 as the predominantly expressed mechanosensitive ion channel among the examined candidates in NK cells. Perturbation of PIEZO1 abolishes stiffness-dependent NK-cell responsiveness, significantly impairs the killing efficiency of NK cells in 3D, and substantially reduces NK-cell infiltration into 3D collagen matrices. Conversely, PIEZO1 activation enhances NK killing efficiency as well as infiltration. In conclusion, our findings demonstrate that PIEZO1-mediated mechanosensing is crucial for NK killing functions, highlighting the role of mechanosensing in NK-cell killing efficiency under 3D physiological conditions and the influence of environmental physical cues on NK-cell functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Archana K Yanamandra
- Biophysics, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine (CIPMM), School of Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Jingnan Zhang
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Galia Montalvo
- Biophysics, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine (CIPMM), School of Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
- Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Xiangda Zhou
- Biophysics, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine (CIPMM), School of Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Doreen Biedenweg
- Institute of Physics, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Renping Zhao
- Biophysics, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine (CIPMM), School of Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Shulagna Sharma
- Biophysics, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine (CIPMM), School of Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Markus Hoth
- Biophysics, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine (CIPMM), School of Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
| | - Franziska Lautenschläger
- Department of Experimental Physics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Center for Biophysics, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Oliver Otto
- Institute of Physics, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Aránzazu Del Campo
- INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials, Saarbrücken, Germany
- Chemistry Department, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Bin Qu
- Biophysics, Center for Integrative Physiology and Molecular Medicine (CIPMM), School of Medicine, Saarland University, Homburg, Germany
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14
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Luu N, Zhang S, Lam RHW, Chen W. Mechanical Constraints in Tumor Guide Emergent Spatial Patterns of Glioblastoma Cancer Stem Cells. MECHANOBIOLOGY IN MEDICINE 2024; 2:100027. [PMID: 38770108 PMCID: PMC11105673 DOI: 10.1016/j.mbm.2023.100027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
The mechanical constraints in the overcrowding glioblastoma (GBM) microenvironment have been implicated in the regulation of tumor heterogeneity and disease progression. Especially, such mechanical cues can alter cellular DNA transcription and give rise to a subpopulation of tumor cells called cancer stem cells (CSCs). These CSCs with stem-like properties are critical drivers of tumorigenesis, metastasis, and treatment resistance. Yet, the biophysical and molecular machinery underlying the emergence of CSCs in tumor remained unexplored. This work employed a two-dimensional micropatterned multicellular model to examine the impact of mechanical constraints arisen from geometric confinement on the emergence and spatial patterning of CSCs in GBM tumor. Our study identified distinct spatial distributions of GBM CSCs in different geometric patterns, where CSCs mostly emerged in the peripheral regions. The spatial pattern of CSCs was found to correspond to the gradients of mechanical stresses resulted from the interplay between the cell-ECM and cell-cell interactions within the confined environment. Further mechanistic study highlighted a Piezo1-RhoA-focal adhesion signaling axis in regulating GBM cell mechanosensing and the subsequent CSC phenotypic transformation. These findings provide new insights into the biophysical origin of the unique spatial pattern of CSCs in GBM tumor and offer potential avenues for targeted therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ngoc Luu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Shuhao Zhang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
| | - Raymond H. W. Lam
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Centre for Biosystems, Neuroscience, and Nanotechnology, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- City University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, China
| | - Weiqiang Chen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, New York University, Brooklyn, NY, USA
- Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, NYU Langone Health, New York, USA
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15
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Azam I, Benson JD. Multiscale transport and 4D time-lapse imaging in precision-cut liver slices (PCLS). PeerJ 2024; 12:e16994. [PMID: 38426134 PMCID: PMC10903333 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Monitoring cellular processes across different levels of complexity, from the cellular to the tissue scale, is important for understanding tissue structure and function. However, it is challenging to monitor and estimate these structural and dynamic interactions within three-dimensional (3D) tissue models. Objective The aim of this study was to design a method for imaging, tracking, and quantifying 3D changes in cell morphology (shape and size) within liver tissue, specifically a precision-cut liver slice (PCLS). A PCLS is a 3D model of the liver that allows the study of the structure and function of liver cells in their native microenvironment. Methods Here, we present a method for imaging liver tissue during anisosmotic exposure in a multispectral four-dimensional manner. Three metrics of tissue morphology were measured to quantify the effects of osmotic stress on liver tissue. We estimated the changes in the volume of whole precision cut liver slices, quantified the changes in nuclei position, and calculated the changes in volumetric responses of tissue-embedded cells. Results During equilibration with cell-membrane-permeating and non-permeating solutes, the whole tissue experiences shrinkage and expansion. As nuclei showed a change in position and directional displacement under osmotic stress, we demonstrate that nuclei could be used as a probe to measure local osmotic and mechanical stress. Moreover, we demonstrate that cells change their volume within tissue slices as a result of osmotic perturbation and that this change in volume is dependent on the position of the cell within the tissue and the duration of the exposure. Conclusion The results of this study have implications for a better understanding of multiscale transport, mechanobiology, and triggered biological responses within complex biological structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iqra Azam
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - James D. Benson
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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16
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Runel G, Lopez-Ramirez N, Barbollat-Boutrand L, Cario M, Durand S, Grimont M, Schartl M, Dalle S, Caramel J, Chlasta J, Masse I. Cancer Cell Biomechanical Properties Accompany Tspan8-Dependent Cutaneous Melanoma Invasion. Cancers (Basel) 2024; 16:694. [PMID: 38398085 PMCID: PMC10887418 DOI: 10.3390/cancers16040694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The intrinsic biomechanical properties of cancer cells remain poorly understood. To decipher whether cell stiffness modulation could increase melanoma cells' invasive capacity, we performed both in vitro and in vivo experiments exploring cell stiffness by atomic force microscopy (AFM). We correlated stiffness properties with cell morphology adaptation and the molecular mechanisms underlying epithelial-to-mesenchymal (EMT)-like phenotype switching. We found that melanoma cell stiffness reduction was systematically associated with the acquisition of invasive properties in cutaneous melanoma cell lines, human skin reconstructs, and Medaka fish developing spontaneous MAP-kinase-induced melanomas. We observed a systematic correlation of stiffness modulation with cell morphological changes towards mesenchymal characteristic gains. We accordingly found that inducing melanoma EMT switching by overexpressing the ZEB1 transcription factor, a major regulator of melanoma cell plasticity, was sufficient to decrease cell stiffness and transcriptionally induce tetraspanin-8-mediated dermal invasion. Moreover, ZEB1 expression correlated with Tspan8 expression in patient melanoma lesions. Our data suggest that intrinsic cell stiffness could be a highly relevant marker for human cutaneous melanoma development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaël Runel
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, CNRS UMR5286, Inserm U1052, University of Lyon, University Lyon 1, 69000 Lyon, France; (G.R.); (N.L.-R.)
- BioMeca, 60F, Bioserra 2, Av. Rockefeller, 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Noémie Lopez-Ramirez
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, CNRS UMR5286, Inserm U1052, University of Lyon, University Lyon 1, 69000 Lyon, France; (G.R.); (N.L.-R.)
| | - Laetitia Barbollat-Boutrand
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, CNRS UMR5286, Inserm U1052, University of Lyon, University Lyon 1, 69000 Lyon, France; (G.R.); (N.L.-R.)
| | - Muriel Cario
- National Reference Center for Rare Skin Disease, Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, INSERM 1035, 33000 Bordeaux, France
- AquiDerm, University Bordeaux, 33076 Bordeaux, France
| | - Simon Durand
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, CNRS UMR5286, Inserm U1052, University of Lyon, University Lyon 1, 69000 Lyon, France; (G.R.); (N.L.-R.)
| | - Maxime Grimont
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, CNRS UMR5286, Inserm U1052, University of Lyon, University Lyon 1, 69000 Lyon, France; (G.R.); (N.L.-R.)
| | - Manfred Schartl
- Developmental Biochemistry, University of Würzburg, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
- Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA
| | - Stéphane Dalle
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, CNRS UMR5286, Inserm U1052, University of Lyon, University Lyon 1, 69000 Lyon, France; (G.R.); (N.L.-R.)
- Dermatology Department, Hôpital Universitaire Lyon Sud, Hospices Civils de Lyon, 69495 Pierre-Bénite, France
| | - Julie Caramel
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, CNRS UMR5286, Inserm U1052, University of Lyon, University Lyon 1, 69000 Lyon, France; (G.R.); (N.L.-R.)
| | - Julien Chlasta
- BioMeca, 60F, Bioserra 2, Av. Rockefeller, 69008 Lyon, France
| | - Ingrid Masse
- Cancer Research Center of Lyon, CNRS UMR5286, Inserm U1052, University of Lyon, University Lyon 1, 69000 Lyon, France; (G.R.); (N.L.-R.)
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17
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Yang H, Meyer F, Huang S, Yang L, Lungu C, Olayioye MA, Buehler MJ, Guo M. Learning Dynamics from Multicellular Graphs with Deep Neural Networks. ARXIV 2024:arXiv:2401.12196v1. [PMID: 38344226 PMCID: PMC10854275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
The inference of multicellular self-assembly is the central quest of understanding morphogenesis, including embryos, organoids, tumors, and many others. However, it has been tremendously difficult to identify structural features that can indicate multicellular dynamics. Here we propose to harness the predictive power of graph-based deep neural networks (GNN) to discover important graph features that can predict dynamics. To demonstrate, we apply a physically informed GNN (piGNN) to predict the motility of multi-cellular collectives from a snapshot of their positions both in experiments and simulations. We demonstrate that piGNN is capable of navigating through complex graph features of multicellular living systems, which otherwise can not be achieved by classical mechanistic models. With increasing amounts of multicellular data, we propose that collaborative efforts can be made to create a multicellular data bank (MDB) from which it is possible to construct a large multicellular graph model (LMGM) for general-purposed predictions of multicellular organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiqian Yang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Florian Meyer
- Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Allmandring 31, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Shaoxun Huang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Liu Yang
- Department of Computer Sciences, University of Wisconsin - Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Cristiana Lungu
- Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Allmandring 31, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Monilola A. Olayioye
- Institute of Cell Biology and Immunology, University of Stuttgart, Allmandring 31, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Markus J. Buehler
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Laboratory for Atomistic and Molecular Mechanics (LAMM), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- Center for Computational Science and Engineering, Schwarzman College of Computing, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Ming Guo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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18
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Wilk SM, Lee K, Gajda AM, Haloul M, Macias V, Wiley EL, Chen Z, Liu X, Wang X, Sverdlov M, Hoskins KF, Emrah E. Multiplex Imaging Reveals Novel Subcellular, Microenvironmental, and Racial Patterns of MRTFA/B Activation in Invasive Breast Cancers and Metastases. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.03.573909. [PMID: 38260321 PMCID: PMC10802460 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.03.573909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Breast cancer progression and metastasis involve the action of multiple transcription factors in tumors and in the cells of the tumor microenvironment (TME) and understanding how these transcription factors are coordinated can guide novel therapeutic strategies. Myocardin related transcription factors A and B (MRTFA/B) are two related transcription factors that redundantly control cancer cell invasion and metastasis in mouse models of breast cancer, but their roles in human cancer are incompletely understood. Here, we used a combination of multiplexed immunofluorescence and bioinformatics analyses to show that MRTFA/B are concurrently activated in tumor cells, but they show distinct patterns of expression across different histological subtypes and in the TME. Importantly, MRTFA expression was elevated in metastatic tumors of African American patients, who disproportionately die from breast cancer. Interestingly, in contrast to publicly available mRNA expression data, MRTFA was similarly expressed across estrogen receptor (ER) positive and negative breast tumors, while MRTFB expression was highest in ER+ breast tumors. Furthermore, MRTFA was specifically expressed in the perivascular antigen presenting cells (APCs) and its expression correlated with the expression of the immune checkpoint protein V-set immunoregulatory receptor (VSIR). These results provide unique insights into how MRTFA and MRTFB can promote metastasis in human cancer, into the racial disparities of their expression patterns, and their function within the complex breast cancer TME.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M. Wilk
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Kihak Lee
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Alexa M. Gajda
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Mohamed Haloul
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Virgilia Macias
- Department of Pathology, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | | | - Zhengjia Chen
- Division of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL
- Biostatistics Shared Resource, University of Illinois Cancer Center, Chicago, IL
| | - Xinyi Liu
- Department of Pharmacology & Regenerative Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Xiaowei Wang
- Department of Pharmacology & Regenerative Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Maria Sverdlov
- Research Histology Core, Research Resources Center, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Kent F. Hoskins
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL
| | - Ekrem Emrah
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL
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19
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Wu Z, Huang D, Wang J, Zhao Y, Sun W, Shen X. Engineering Heterogeneous Tumor Models for Biomedical Applications. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2024; 11:e2304160. [PMID: 37946674 PMCID: PMC10767453 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202304160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Revised: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023]
Abstract
Tumor tissue engineering holds great promise for replicating the physiological and behavioral characteristics of tumors in vitro. Advances in this field have led to new opportunities for studying the tumor microenvironment and exploring potential anti-cancer therapeutics. However, the main obstacle to the widespread adoption of tumor models is the poor understanding and insufficient reconstruction of tumor heterogeneity. In this review, the current progress of engineering heterogeneous tumor models is discussed. First, the major components of tumor heterogeneity are summarized, which encompasses various signaling pathways, cell proliferations, and spatial configurations. Then, contemporary approaches are elucidated in tumor engineering that are guided by fundamental principles of tumor biology, and the potential of a bottom-up approach in tumor engineering is highlighted. Additionally, the characterization approaches and biomedical applications of tumor models are discussed, emphasizing the significant role of engineered tumor models in scientific research and clinical trials. Lastly, the challenges of heterogeneous tumor models in promoting oncology research and tumor therapy are described and key directions for future research are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuhao Wu
- Department of Rheumatology and ImmunologyNanjing Drum Tower HospitalSchool of Biological Science and Medical EngineeringSoutheast UniversityNanjing210096China
| | - Danqing Huang
- Department of Rheumatology and ImmunologyNanjing Drum Tower HospitalSchool of Biological Science and Medical EngineeringSoutheast UniversityNanjing210096China
| | - Jinglin Wang
- Department of Rheumatology and ImmunologyNanjing Drum Tower HospitalSchool of Biological Science and Medical EngineeringSoutheast UniversityNanjing210096China
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- Department of Rheumatology and ImmunologyNanjing Drum Tower HospitalSchool of Biological Science and Medical EngineeringSoutheast UniversityNanjing210096China
- Department of Gastrointestinal SurgeryThe First Affiliated HospitalWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhou325035China
| | - Weijian Sun
- Department of Gastrointestinal SurgeryThe Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhou325027China
| | - Xian Shen
- Department of Rheumatology and ImmunologyNanjing Drum Tower HospitalSchool of Biological Science and Medical EngineeringSoutheast UniversityNanjing210096China
- Department of Gastrointestinal SurgeryThe First Affiliated HospitalWenzhou Medical UniversityWenzhou325035China
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20
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Guan LY, Lin SZ, Chen PC, Lv JQ, Li B, Feng XQ. Interfacial Organization and Forces Arising from Epithelial-Cancerous Monolayer Interactions. ACS NANO 2023; 17:24668-24684. [PMID: 38091551 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.3c03990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
The interfacial interactions between epithelia and cancer cells have profound relevance for tumor development and metastasis. Through monolayer confrontation of MCF10A (nontumorigenic human breast epithelial cells) and MDA-MB-231 (human epithelial breast cancer cells) cells, we investigate the epithelial-cancerous interfacial interactions at the tissue level. We show that the monolayer interaction leads to competitive interfacial morphodynamics and drives an intricate spatial organization of MCF10A cells into multicellular finger-like structures, which further branch into multiple subfinger-like structures. These hierarchical interfacial structures penetrate the cancer monolayer and can spontaneously segregate or even envelop cancer cell clusters, consistent with our theoretical prediction. By tracking the substrate displacements via embedded fluorescent nanobeads and implementing nanomechanical modeling that combines atomic force microscopy and finite element simulations, we computed mechanical force patterns, including traction forces and monolayer stresses, caused by the monolayer interaction. It is found that the heterogeneous mechanical forces accumulated in the monolayers are able to squeeze cancer cells, leading to three-dimensional interfacial bulges or cell extrusion, initiating the p53 apoptosis signaling pathways of cancer cells. We reveal that intercellular E-cadherin and P-cadherin of epithelial cells differentially regulate the interfacial organization including migration speed, directionality, spatial correlation, F-actin alignment, and subcellular protrusions of MCF10A cells; whereas E-cadherin governs interfacial geometry that is relevant to force localization and cancer cell extrusion, P-cadherin maintains interfacial integrity that enables long-range force transmission. Our findings suggest that the collaborative molecular and mechanical behaviors are crucial for preventing epithelial tissues from undergoing tumor invasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu-Yuan Guan
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Shao-Zhen Lin
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Peng-Cheng Chen
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Jian-Qing Lv
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Bo Li
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
| | - Xi-Qiao Feng
- Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Applied Mechanics Laboratory, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
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21
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Feng Y, Wang S, Liu X, Han Y, Xu H, Duan X, Xie W, Tian Z, Yuan Z, Wan Z, Xu L, Qin S, He K, Huang J. Geometric constraint-triggered collagen expression mediates bacterial-host adhesion. Nat Commun 2023; 14:8165. [PMID: 38071397 PMCID: PMC10710423 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43827-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells living in geometrically confined microenvironments are ubiquitous in various physiological processes, e.g., wound closure. However, it remains unclear whether and how spatially geometric constraints on host cells regulate bacteria-host interactions. Here, we reveal that interactions between bacteria and spatially constrained cell monolayers exhibit strong spatial heterogeneity, and that bacteria tend to adhere to these cells near the outer edges of confined monolayers. The bacterial adhesion force near the edges of the micropatterned monolayers is up to 75 nN, which is ~3 times higher than that at the centers, depending on the underlying substrate rigidities. Single-cell RNA sequencing experiments indicate that spatially heterogeneous expression of collagen IV with significant edge effects is responsible for the location-dependent bacterial adhesion. Finally, we show that collagen IV inhibitors can potentially be utilized as adjuvants to reduce bacterial adhesion and thus markedly enhance the efficacy of antibiotics, as demonstrated in animal experiments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Feng
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Shuyi Wang
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoye Liu
- Beijing Traditional Chinese Veterinary Engineering Center and Beijing Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Veterinary Medicine, Beijing University of Agriculture, 102206, Beijing, China
| | - Yiming Han
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Hongwei Xu
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaocen Duan
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Wenyue Xie
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuoling Tian
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Zuoying Yuan
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuo Wan
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Xu
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
- Academy for Advanced Interdisciplinary Studies, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Siying Qin
- School of Life Sciences, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China
| | - Kangmin He
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100101, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100049, Beijing, China
| | - Jianyong Huang
- Department of Mechanics and Engineering Science, College of Engineering, Peking University, 100871, Beijing, China.
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22
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Atia L, Fredberg JJ. A life off the beaten track in biomechanics: Imperfect elasticity, cytoskeletal glassiness, and epithelial unjamming. BIOPHYSICS REVIEWS 2023; 4:041304. [PMID: 38156333 PMCID: PMC10751956 DOI: 10.1063/5.0179719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Textbook descriptions of elasticity, viscosity, and viscoelasticity fail to account for certain mechanical behaviors that typify soft living matter. Here, we consider three examples. First, strong empirical evidence suggests that within lung parenchymal tissues, the frictional stresses expressed at the microscale are fundamentally not of viscous origin. Second, the cytoskeleton (CSK) of the airway smooth muscle cell, as well as that of all eukaryotic cells, is more solid-like than fluid-like, yet its elastic modulus is softer than the softest of soft rubbers by a factor of 104-105. Moreover, the eukaryotic CSK expresses power law rheology, innate malleability, and fluidization when sheared. For these reasons, taken together, the CSK of the living eukaryotic cell is reminiscent of the class of materials called soft glasses, thus likening it to inert materials such as clays, pastes slurries, emulsions, and foams. Third, the cellular collective comprising a confluent epithelial layer can become solid-like and jammed, fluid-like and unjammed, or something in between. Esoteric though each may seem, these discoveries are consequential insofar as they impact our understanding of bronchospasm and wound healing as well as cancer cell invasion and embryonic development. Moreover, there are reasons to suspect that certain of these phenomena first arose in the early protist as a result of evolutionary pressures exerted by the primordial microenvironment. We have hypothesized, further, that each then became passed down virtually unchanged to the present day as a conserved core process. These topics are addressed here not only because they are interesting but also because they track the journey of one laboratory along a path less traveled by.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lior Atia
- Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
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23
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Agarwala PK, Nie S, Reid GE, Kapoor S. Global lipid remodelling by hypoxia aggravates migratory potential in pancreatic cancer while maintaining plasma membrane homeostasis. Biochim Biophys Acta Mol Cell Biol Lipids 2023; 1868:159398. [PMID: 37748704 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbalip.2023.159398] [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: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
Hypoxia plays an important role in pancreatic cancer progression. It drives various metabolic reprogramming in cells including that of lipids, which in turn, can modify the structure and function of cell membranes. Homeostatic adaptation of membranes is well-recognized, but how and if it is regulated in hypoxic pancreatic cancer and its relation to aggressive phenotype and metastasis remains elusive. Here we show hypoxia-induced extensive global lipid remodelling spanning changes in lipid classes, unsaturation levels, glyceryl backbone and acyl chain lengths. No major modulation of plasma membrane biophysical properties revealed a decoupling of lipidome modulation from membrane properties under hypoxia. This was supported by observing minor changes in the lipidome of plasma membranes under hypoxia. Further, hypoxia increased migration and invasion underpinned by reduced actin volume, cell cortical stiffness and facile tether dynamics. In conclusion, we demonstrate buffering of the lipidome alterations leading to a homeostatic membrane response. These findings will help to understand the hypoxic regulation of pancreatic membrane homeostasis and identify tangible theranostic avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prema Kumari Agarwala
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India
| | - Shuai Nie
- Melbourne Mass Spectrometry and Proteomics Facility, Bio21 Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Gavin E Reid
- School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia; Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia; Bio21 Institute of Molecular Science and Biotechnology Institute, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - Shobhna Kapoor
- Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076, India; Graduate School of Integrated Sciences for Life, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima 739-8528, Japan.
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24
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Pierantoni L, Reis RL, Silva-Correia J, Oliveira JM, Heavey S. Spatial -omics technologies: the new enterprise in 3D breast cancer models. Trends Biotechnol 2023; 41:1488-1500. [PMID: 37544843 DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2023.07.003] [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: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
The fields of tissue bioengineering, -omics, and spatial biology are advancing rapidly, each offering the opportunity for a paradigm shift in breast cancer research. However, to date, collaboration between these fields has not reached its full potential. In this review, we describe the most recently generated 3D breast cancer models regarding the biomaterials and technological platforms employed. Additionally, their biological evaluation is reported, highlighting their advantages and limitations. Specifically, we focus on the most up-to-date -omics and spatial biology techniques, which can generate a deeper understanding of the biological relevance of bioengineered 3D breast cancer in vitro models, thus paving the way towards truly clinically relevant microphysiological systems, improved drug development success rates, and personalised medicine approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Pierantoni
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics of University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, Guimarães 4805-017, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associated Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
| | - Rui L Reis
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics of University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, Guimarães 4805-017, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associated Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Joana Silva-Correia
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics of University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, Guimarães 4805-017, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associated Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Joaquim M Oliveira
- 3B's Research Group, I3Bs - Research Institute on Biomaterials, Biodegradables and Biomimetics of University of Minho, Headquarters of the European Institute of Excellence on Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, AvePark, Zona Industrial da Gandra, Barco, Guimarães 4805-017, Portugal; ICVS/3B's - PT Government Associated Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal
| | - Susan Heavey
- Division of Surgery & Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK
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25
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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: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 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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26
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Kechagia Z, Sáez P, Gómez-González M, Canales B, Viswanadha S, Zamarbide M, Andreu I, Koorman T, Beedle AEM, Elosegui-Artola A, Derksen PWB, Trepat X, Arroyo M, Roca-Cusachs P. The laminin-keratin link shields the nucleus from mechanical deformation and signalling. NATURE MATERIALS 2023; 22:1409-1420. [PMID: 37709930 PMCID: PMC10627833 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-023-01657-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
The mechanical properties of the extracellular matrix dictate tissue behaviour. In epithelial tissues, laminin is a very abundant extracellular matrix component and a key supporting element. Here we show that laminin hinders the mechanoresponses of breast epithelial cells by shielding the nucleus from mechanical deformation. Coating substrates with laminin-111-unlike fibronectin or collagen I-impairs cell response to substrate rigidity and YAP nuclear localization. Blocking the laminin-specific integrin β4 increases nuclear YAP ratios in a rigidity-dependent manner without affecting the cell forces or focal adhesions. By combining mechanical perturbations and mathematical modelling, we show that β4 integrins establish a mechanical linkage between the substrate and keratin cytoskeleton, which stiffens the network and shields the nucleus from actomyosin-mediated mechanical deformation. In turn, this affects the nuclear YAP mechanoresponses, chromatin methylation and cell invasion in three dimensions. Our results demonstrate a mechanism by which tissues can regulate their sensitivity to mechanical signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zanetta Kechagia
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Pablo Sáez
- Laboratori de Càlcul Numèric (LàCaN), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Matemátiques de la UPC-BarcelonaTech (IMTech), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Manuel Gómez-González
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Brenda Canales
- Cell and Tissue Mechanobiology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Department of Physics, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Srivatsava Viswanadha
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Ion Andreu
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Instituto Biofisika (UPV/EHU, CSIC), University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain
- Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Thijs Koorman
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Amy E M Beedle
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Physics, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Alberto Elosegui-Artola
- Cell and Tissue Mechanobiology Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Department of Physics, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Patrick W B Derksen
- Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Xavier Trepat
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), Barcelona, Spain
- Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marino Arroyo
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain
- Laboratori de Càlcul Numèric (LàCaN), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut de Matemátiques de la UPC-BarcelonaTech (IMTech), Barcelona, Spain
- Centre Internacional de Mètodes Numèrics en Enginyeria (CIMNE), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Pere Roca-Cusachs
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia (IBEC), Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology (BIST), Barcelona, Spain.
- University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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27
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Sun F, Fang C, Shao X, Gao H, Lin Y. A mechanism-based theory of cellular and tissue plasticity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2305375120. [PMID: 37871208 PMCID: PMC10622945 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2305375120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Plastic deformation in cells and tissues has been found to play crucial roles in collective cell migration, cancer metastasis, and morphogenesis. However, the fundamental question of how plasticity is initiated in individual cells and then propagates within the tissue remains elusive. Here, we develop a mechanism-based theory of cellular and tissue plasticity that accounts for all key processes involved, including the activation and development of active contraction at different scales as well as the formation of endocytic vesicles on cell junctions and show that this theory achieves quantitative agreement with all existing experiments. Specifically, it reveals that, in response to optical or mechanical stimuli, the myosin contraction and thermal fluctuation-assisted formation and pinching of endocytic vesicles could lead to permanent shortening of cell junctions and that such plastic constriction can stretch neighboring cells and trigger their active contraction through mechanochemical feedbacks and eventually their plastic deformations as well. Our theory predicts that endocytic vesicles with a size around 1 to 2 µm will most likely be formed and a higher irreversible shortening of cell junctions could be achieved if a long stimulation is split into multiple short ones, all in quantitative agreement with experiments. Our analysis also shows that constriction of cells in tissue can undergo elastic/unratcheted to plastic/ratcheted transition as the magnitude and duration of active contraction increases, ultimately resulting in the propagation of plastic deformation waves within the monolayer with a constant speed which again is consistent with experimental observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuqiang Sun
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen518057, China
| | - Chao Fang
- School of Science, Harbin Institute of Technology, Shenzhen518055, China
| | - Xueying Shao
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, China
| | - Huajian Gao
- College of Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore639798, Singapore
| | - Yuan Lin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Institute of Research and Innovation, Shenzhen518057, China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Hong Kong, China
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28
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Nazari SS, Doyle AD, Bleck CKE, Yamada KM. Long Prehensile Protrusions Can Facilitate Cancer Cell Invasion through the Basement Membrane. Cells 2023; 12:2474. [PMID: 37887318 PMCID: PMC10605924 DOI: 10.3390/cells12202474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
A basic process in cancer is the breaching of basement-membrane barriers to permit tissue invasion. Cancer cells can use proteases and physical mechanisms to produce initial holes in basement membranes, but how cells squeeze through this barrier into matrix environments is not well understood. We used a 3D invasion model consisting of cancer-cell spheroids encapsulated by a basement membrane and embedded in collagen to characterize the dynamic early steps in cancer-cell invasion across this barrier. We demonstrate that certain cancer cells extend exceptionally long (~30-100 μm) protrusions through basement membranes via actin and microtubule cytoskeletal function. These long protrusions use integrin adhesion and myosin II-based contractility to pull cells through the basement membrane for initial invasion. Concurrently, these long, organelle-rich protrusions pull surrounding collagen inward while propelling cancer cells outward through perforations in the basement-membrane barrier. These exceptionally long, contractile cellular protrusions can facilitate the breaching of the basement-membrane barrier as a first step in cancer metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shayan S. Nazari
- Cell Biology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Andrew D. Doyle
- Cell Biology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Christopher K. E. Bleck
- Electron Microscopy Core, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kenneth M. Yamada
- Cell Biology Section, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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29
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Bao L, Kong H, Ja Y, Wang C, Qin L, Sun H, Dai S. The relationship between cancer and biomechanics. Front Oncol 2023; 13:1273154. [PMID: 37901315 PMCID: PMC10602664 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1273154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Abstract
The onset, development, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer involve intricate interactions among various factors, spanning the realms of mechanics, physics, chemistry, and biology. Within our bodies, cells are subject to a variety of forces such as gravity, magnetism, tension, compression, shear stress, and biological static force/hydrostatic pressure. These forces are perceived by mechanoreceptors as mechanical signals, which are then transmitted to cells through a process known as mechanical transduction. During tumor development, invasion and metastasis, there are significant biomechanical influences on various aspects such as tumor angiogenesis, interactions between tumor cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM), interactions between tumor cells and other cells, and interactions between tumor cells and the circulatory system and vasculature. The tumor microenvironment comprises a complex interplay of cells, ECM and vasculature, with the ECM, comprising collagen, fibronectins, integrins, laminins and matrix metalloproteinases, acting as a critical mediator of mechanical properties and a key component within the mechanical signaling pathway. The vasculature exerts appropriate shear forces on tumor cells, enabling their escape from immune surveillance, facilitating their dissemination in the bloodstream, dictating the trajectory of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and playing a pivotal role in regulating adhesion to the vessel wall. Tumor biomechanics plays a critical role in tumor progression and metastasis, as alterations in biomechanical properties throughout the malignant transformation process trigger a cascade of changes in cellular behavior and the tumor microenvironment, ultimately culminating in the malignant biological behavior of the tumor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liqi Bao
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Renji College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Hongru Kong
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yang Ja
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
- The First Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Chengchao Wang
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
- The First Clinical Medical College, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lei Qin
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongwei Sun
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shengjie Dai
- Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Department of General Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
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30
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Gong X, Ogino N, Leite MF, Chen Z, Nguyen R, Liu R, Kruglov E, Flores K, Cabral A, Mendes GMM, Ehrlich BE, Mak M. Adaptation to volumetric compression drives hepatoblastoma cells to an apoptosis-resistant and invasive phenotype. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.08.561453. [PMID: 37873476 PMCID: PMC10592664 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.08.561453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Liver cancer involves tumor cells rapidly growing within a packed tissue environment. Patient tumor tissues reveal densely packed and deformed cells, especially at tumor boundaries, indicative of physical crowding and compression. It is not well understood how these physical signals modulate tumor evolution and therapeutic susceptibility. Here we investigate the impact of volumetric compression on liver cancer (HepG2) behavior. We find that conditioning cells under a highly compressed state leads to major transcriptional reprogramming, notably the loss of hepatic markers, the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-like changes, and altered calcium signaling-related gene expression, over the course of several days. Biophysically, compressed cells exhibit increased Rac1-mediated cell spreading and cell-extracellular matrix interactions, cytoskeletal reorganization, increased YAP and β-catenin nuclear translocation, and dysfunction in cytoplasmic and mitochondrial calcium signaling. Furthermore, compressed cells are resistant to chemotherapeutics and desensitized to apoptosis signaling. Apoptosis sensitivity can be rescued by stimulated calcium signaling. Our study demonstrates that volumetric compression is a key microenvironmental factor that drives tumor evolution in multiple pathological directions and highlights potential countermeasures to re-sensitize therapy-resistant cells. Significance statement Compression can arise as cancer cells grow and navigate within the dense solid tumor microenvironment. It is unclear how compression mediates critical programs that drive tumor progression and therapeutic complications. Here, we take an integrative approach in investigating the impact of compression on liver cancer. We identify and characterize compressed subdomains within patient tumor tissues. Furthermore, using in vitro systems, we induce volumetric compression (primarily via osmotic pressure but also via mechanical force) on liver cancer cells and demonstrate significant molecular and biophysical changes in cell states, including in function, cytoskeletal signaling, proliferation, invasion, and chemoresistance. Importantly, our results show that compressed cells have impaired calcium signaling and acquire resistance to apoptosis, which can be countered via calcium mobilization.
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Gong X, Nguyen R, Chen Z, Wen Z, Zhang X, Mak M. Volumetric Compression Shifts Rho GTPase Balance and Induces Mechanobiological Cell State Transition. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.08.561452. [PMID: 37873466 PMCID: PMC10592676 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.08.561452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
During development and disease progression, cells are subject to osmotic and mechanical stresses that modulate cell volume, which fundamentally influences cell homeostasis and has been linked to a variety of cellular functions. It is not well understood how the mechanobiological state of cells is programmed by the interplay of intracellular organization and complex extracellular mechanics when stimulated by cell volume modulation. Here, by controlling cell volume via osmotic pressure, we evaluate physical phenotypes (including cell shape, morphodynamics, traction force, and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling) and molecular signaling (YAP), and we uncover fundamental transitions in active biophysical states. We demonstrate that volumetric compression shifts the ratiometric balance of Rho GTPase activities, thereby altering mechanosensing and cytoskeletal organization in a reversible manner. Specifically, volumetric compression controls cell spreading, adhesion formation, and YAP nuclear translocation, while maintaining cell contractile activity. Furthermore, we show that on physiologically relevant fibrillar collagen I matrices, which are highly non-elastic, cells exhibit additional modes of cell volume-dependent mechanosensing that are not observable on elastic substrates. Notably, volumetric compression regulates the dynamics of cell-ECM interactions and irreversible ECM remodeling via Rac-directed protrusion dynamics, at both the single-cell level and the multicellular level. Our findings support that cell volume is a master biophysical regulator and reveal its roles in cell mechanical state transition, cell-ECM interactions, and biophysical tissue programming.
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Zhang X, Shi X, Zhang D, Gong X, Wen Z, Demandel I, Zhang J, Rossello-Martinez A, Chan TJ, Mak M. Compression drives diverse transcriptomic and phenotypic adaptations in melanoma. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2220062120. [PMID: 37722033 PMCID: PMC10523457 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2220062120] [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: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Physical forces are prominent during tumor progression. However, it is still unclear how they impact and drive the diverse phenotypes found in cancer. Here, we apply an integrative approach to investigate the impact of compression on melanoma cells. We apply bioinformatics to screen for the most significant compression-induced transcriptomic changes and investigate phenotypic responses. We show that compression-induced transcriptomic changes are associated with both improvement and worsening of patient prognoses. Phenotypically, volumetric compression inhibits cell proliferation and cell migration. It also induces organelle stress and intracellular oxidative stress and increases pigmentation in malignant melanoma cells and normal human melanocytes. Finally, cells that have undergone compression become more resistant to cisplatin treatment. Our findings indicate that volumetric compression is a double-edged sword for melanoma progression and drives tumor evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingjian Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT06511
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT06511
| | - Xin Shi
- School of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Tianjin University, Tianjin300350, China
| | - Dingyao Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT06511
| | - Xiangyu Gong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT06511
| | - Zhang Wen
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT06511
| | - Israel Demandel
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT06511
| | - Junqi Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT06511
| | | | - Trevor J. Chan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA19104
| | - Michael Mak
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT06511
- Yale Cancer Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT06511
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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.
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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
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Sockell A, Wong W, Longwell S, Vu T, Karlsson K, Mokhtari D, Schaepe J, Lo YH, Cornelius V, Kuo C, Van Valen D, Curtis C, Fordyce PM. A microwell platform for high-throughput longitudinal phenotyping and selective retrieval of organoids. Cell Syst 2023; 14:764-776.e6. [PMID: 37734323 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2023.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 02/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Organoids are powerful experimental models for studying the ontogeny and progression of various diseases including cancer. Organoids are conventionally cultured in bulk using an extracellular matrix mimic. However, bulk-cultured organoids physically overlap, making it impossible to track the growth of individual organoids over time in high throughput. Moreover, local spatial variations in bulk matrix properties make it difficult to assess whether observed phenotypic heterogeneity between organoids results from intrinsic cell differences or differences in the microenvironment. Here, we developed a microwell-based method that enables high-throughput quantification of image-based parameters for organoids grown from single cells, which can further be retrieved from their microwells for molecular profiling. Coupled with a deep learning image-processing pipeline, we characterized phenotypic traits including growth rates, cellular movement, and apical-basal polarity in two CRISPR-engineered human gastric organoid models, identifying genomic changes associated with increased growth rate and changes in accessibility and expression correlated with apical-basal polarity. A record of this paper's transparent peer review process is included in the supplemental information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Sockell
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Wing Wong
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Scott Longwell
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Thy Vu
- Department of Biochemistry, UT Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Kasper Karlsson
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Daniel Mokhtari
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Julia Schaepe
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yuan-Hung Lo
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Vincent Cornelius
- Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Calvin Kuo
- Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - David Van Valen
- Division of Biology and Bioengineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Christina Curtis
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Biomedical Data Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Stanford Cancer Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA.
| | - Polly M Fordyce
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Department of Bioengineering, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA; Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA; ChEM-H Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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35
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Skinner DJ, Jeckel H, Martin AC, Drescher K, Dunkel J. Topological packing statistics of living and nonliving matter. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg1261. [PMID: 37672580 PMCID: PMC10482333 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg1261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Complex disordered matter is of central importance to a wide range of disciplines, from bacterial colonies and embryonic tissues in biology to foams and granular media in materials science to stellar configurations in astrophysics. Because of the vast differences in composition and scale, comparing structural features across such disparate systems remains challenging. Here, by using the statistical properties of Delaunay tessellations, we introduce a mathematical framework for measuring topological distances between general three-dimensional point clouds. The resulting system-agnostic metric reveals subtle structural differences between bacterial biofilms as well as between zebrafish brain regions, and it recovers temporal ordering of embryonic development. We apply the metric to construct a universal topological atlas encompassing bacterial biofilms, snowflake yeast, plant shoots, zebrafish brain matter, organoids, and embryonic tissues as well as foams, colloidal packings, glassy materials, and stellar configurations. Living systems localize within a bounded island-like region of the atlas, reflecting that biological growth mechanisms result in characteristic topological properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic J Skinner
- Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
- NSF-Simons Center for Quantitative Biology, Northwestern University, 2205 Tech Drive, Evanston, IL 60208, USA
| | - Hannah Jeckel
- Department of Physics, Philipps-Universität Marburg, Renthof 6, 35032 Marburg, Germany
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Adam C Martin
- Department of Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Knut Drescher
- Biozentrum, University of Basel, Spitalstrasse 41, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Jörn Dunkel
- Department of Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
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36
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Sauer F, Grosser S, Shahryari M, Hayn A, Guo J, Braun J, Briest S, Wolf B, Aktas B, Horn L, Sack I, Käs JA. Changes in Tissue Fluidity Predict Tumor Aggressiveness In Vivo. ADVANCED SCIENCE (WEINHEIM, BADEN-WURTTEMBERG, GERMANY) 2023; 10:e2303523. [PMID: 37553780 PMCID: PMC10502644 DOI: 10.1002/advs.202303523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023]
Abstract
Cancer progression is caused by genetic changes and associated with various alterations in cell properties, which also affect a tumor's mechanical state. While an increased stiffness has been well known for long for solid tumors, it has limited prognostic power. It is hypothesized that cancer progression is accompanied by tissue fluidization, where portions of the tissue can change position across different length scales. Supported by tabletop magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) on stroma mimicking collagen gels and microscopic analysis of live cells inside patient derived tumor explants, an overview is provided of how cancer associated mechanisms, including cellular unjamming, proliferation, microenvironment composition, and remodeling can alter a tissue's fluidity and stiffness. In vivo, state-of-the-art multifrequency MRE can distinguish tumors from their surrounding host tissue by their rheological fingerprints. Most importantly, a meta-analysis on the currently available clinical studies is conducted and universal trends are identified. The results and conclusions are condensed into a gedankenexperiment about how a tumor can grow and eventually metastasize into its environment from a physics perspective to deduce corresponding mechanical properties. Based on stiffness, fluidity, spatial heterogeneity, and texture of the tumor front a roadmap for a prognosis of a tumor's aggressiveness and metastatic potential is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Sauer
- Soft Matter Physics DivisionPeter‐Debye‐Institute for Soft Matter Physics04103LeipzigGermany
| | - Steffen Grosser
- Soft Matter Physics DivisionPeter‐Debye‐Institute for Soft Matter Physics04103LeipzigGermany
- Institute for Bioengineering of CataloniaThe Barcelona Institute for Science and Technology (BIST)Barcelona08028Spain
| | - Mehrgan Shahryari
- Department of RadiologyCharité‐Universitätsmedizin10117BerlinGermany
| | - Alexander Hayn
- Department of HepatologyLeipzig University Hospital04103LeipzigGermany
| | - Jing Guo
- Department of RadiologyCharité‐Universitätsmedizin10117BerlinGermany
| | - Jürgen Braun
- Institute of Medical InformaticsCharité‐Universitätsmedizin10117BerlinGermany
| | - Susanne Briest
- Department of GynecologyLeipzig University Hospital04103LeipzigGermany
| | - Benjamin Wolf
- Department of GynecologyLeipzig University Hospital04103LeipzigGermany
| | - Bahriye Aktas
- Department of GynecologyLeipzig University Hospital04103LeipzigGermany
| | - Lars‐Christian Horn
- Division of Breast, Urogenital and Perinatal PathologyLeipzig University Hospital04103LeipzigGermany
| | - Ingolf Sack
- Department of RadiologyCharité‐Universitätsmedizin10117BerlinGermany
| | - Josef A. Käs
- Soft Matter Physics DivisionPeter‐Debye‐Institute for Soft Matter Physics04103LeipzigGermany
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37
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Jiang C, Luo HY, Xu X, Dou SX, Li W, Guan D, Ye F, Chen X, Guo M, Wang PY, Li H. Switch of cell migration modes orchestrated by changes of three-dimensional lamellipodium structure and intracellular diffusion. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5166. [PMID: 37620390 PMCID: PMC10449835 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40858-x] [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: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Cell migration plays important roles in many biological processes, but how migrating cells orchestrate intracellular molecules and subcellular structures to regulate their speed and direction is still not clear. Here, by characterizing the intracellular diffusion and the three-dimensional lamellipodium structures of fish keratocyte cells, we observe a strong positive correlation between the intracellular diffusion and cell migration speed and, more importantly, discover a switching of cell migration modes with reversible intracellular diffusion variation and lamellipodium structure deformation. Distinct from the normal fast mode, cells migrating in the newly-found slow mode have a deformed lamellipodium with swollen-up front and thinned-down rear, reduced intracellular diffusion and compartmentalized macromolecule distribution in the lamellipodium. Furthermore, in turning cells, both lamellipodium structure and intracellular diffusion dynamics are also changed, with left-right symmetry breaking. We propose a mechanism involving the front-localized actin polymerization and increased molecular crowding in the lamellipodium to explain how cells spatiotemporally coordinate the intracellular diffusion dynamics and the lamellipodium structure in regulating their migrations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Jiang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Systems Science and Institute of Nonequilibrium Systems, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
- School of Physical Sciences and School of Engineering Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Hong-Yu Luo
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Physical Sciences and School of Engineering Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xinpeng Xu
- Physics Program, Guangdong Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 241 Daxue Road, Shantou, Guangdong, 515063, China
- Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel
| | - Shuo-Xing Dou
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Physical Sciences and School of Engineering Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Wei Li
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan, Guangdong, 523808, China
| | - Dongshi Guan
- School of Physical Sciences and School of Engineering Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- State Key Laboratory of Nonlinear Mechanics, Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
| | - Fangfu Ye
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China
- School of Physical Sciences and School of Engineering Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan, Guangdong, 523808, China
- Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325001, China
| | - Xiaosong Chen
- School of Systems Science and Institute of Nonequilibrium Systems, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Ming Guo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
| | - Peng-Ye Wang
- Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics and Laboratory of Soft Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
- School of Physical Sciences and School of Engineering Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
- Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory, Dongguan, Guangdong, 523808, China.
| | - Hui Li
- School of Systems Science and Institute of Nonequilibrium Systems, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
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Pierangeli D, Perini G, Palmieri V, Grecco I, Friggeri G, De Spirito M, Papi M, DelRe E, Conti C. Extreme transport of light in spheroids of tumor cells. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4662. [PMID: 37537177 PMCID: PMC10400595 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-40379-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Extreme waves are intense and unexpected wavepackets ubiquitous in complex systems. In optics, these rogue waves are promising as robust and noise-resistant beams for probing and manipulating the underlying material. Localizing large optical power is crucial especially in biomedical systems, where, however, extremely intense beams have not yet been observed. We here discover that tumor-cell spheroids manifest optical rogue waves when illuminated by randomly modulated laser beams. The intensity of light transmitted through bio-printed three-dimensional tumor models follows a signature Weibull statistical distribution, where extreme events correspond to spatially-localized optical modes propagating within the cell network. Experiments varying the input beam power and size indicate that the rogue waves have a nonlinear origin. We show that these nonlinear optical filaments form high-transmission channels with enhanced transmission. They deliver large optical power through the tumor spheroid, and can be exploited to achieve a local temperature increase controlled by the input wave shape. Our findings shed light on optical propagation in biological aggregates and demonstrate how nonlinear extreme event formation allows light concentration in deep tissues, paving the way to using rogue waves in biomedical applications, such as light-activated therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Davide Pierangeli
- Institute for Complex Systems, National Research Council, Rome, 00185, Italy.
- Physics Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy.
| | - Giordano Perini
- Neuroscience Department, University Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, 00168, Italy
- IRCSS, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Rome, 00168, Italy
| | - Valentina Palmieri
- Institute for Complex Systems, National Research Council, Rome, 00185, Italy
- Neuroscience Department, University Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, 00168, Italy
| | - Ivana Grecco
- Physics Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Ginevra Friggeri
- Neuroscience Department, University Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, 00168, Italy
- IRCSS, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Rome, 00168, Italy
| | - Marco De Spirito
- Neuroscience Department, University Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, 00168, Italy
- IRCSS, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Rome, 00168, Italy
| | - Massimiliano Papi
- Neuroscience Department, University Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, 00168, Italy.
- IRCSS, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli, Rome, 00168, Italy.
| | - Eugenio DelRe
- Physics Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy
| | - Claudio Conti
- Physics Department, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, 00185, Italy
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39
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Wong SHD, Yin B, Li Z, Yuan W, Zhang Q, Xie X, Tan Y, Wong N, Zhang K, Bian L. Mechanical manipulation of cancer cell tumorigenicity via heat shock protein signaling. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg9593. [PMID: 37418519 PMCID: PMC10328411 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg9593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023]
Abstract
Biophysical cues of rigid tumor matrix play a critical role in cancer cell malignancy. We report that stiffly confined cancer cells exhibit robust growth of spheroids in the stiff hydrogel that exerts substantial confining stress on the cells. The stressed condition activated Hsp (heat shock protein)-signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 signaling via the transient receptor potential vanilloid 4-phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt axis, thereby up-regulating the expression of the stemness-related markers in cancer cells, whereas these signaling activities were suppressed in cancer cells cultured in softer hydrogels or stiff hydrogels with stress relief or Hsp70 knockdown/inhibition. This mechanopriming based on three-dimensional culture enhanced cancer cell tumorigenicity and metastasis in animal models upon transplantation, and pharmaceutically inhibiting Hsp70 improved the anticancer efficacy of chemotherapy. Mechanistically, our study reveals the crucial role of Hsp70 in regulating cancer cell malignancy under mechanically stressed conditions and its impacts on cancer prognosis-related molecular pathways for cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siu Hong Dexter Wong
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, P. R. China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China
- Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China
| | - Bohan Yin
- School of Medicine and Pharmacy, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, P. R. China
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China
| | - Zhuo Li
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China
| | - Weihao Yuan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China
| | - Qin Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China
| | - Xian Xie
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China
| | - Youhua Tan
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen 518057, P. R. China
| | - Nathalie Wong
- Department of Surgery, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong 999077, P. R. China
| | - Kunyu Zhang
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, Guangzhou International Campus, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 511442, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
| | - Liming Bian
- School of Biomedical Sciences and Engineering, Guangzhou International Campus, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 511442, P. R. China
- National Engineering Research Center for Tissue Restoration and Reconstruction, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
- Key Laboratory of Biomedical Materials and Engineering of the Ministry of Education, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou 510006, P. R. China
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40
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Shen Y, Ori-McKenney KM. Macromolecular Crowding Tailors the Microtubule Cytoskeleton Through Tubulin Modifications and Microtubule-Associated Proteins. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.14.544846. [PMID: 37398431 PMCID: PMC10312695 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.14.544846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Cells remodel their cytoskeletal networks to adapt to their environment. Here, we analyze the mechanisms utilized by the cell to tailor its microtubule landscape in response to changes in osmolarity that alter macromolecular crowding. By integrating live cell imaging, ex vivo enzymatic assays, and in vitro reconstitution, we probe the impact of acute perturbations in cytoplasmic density on microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) and tubulin posttranslational modifications (PTMs), unraveling the molecular underpinnings of cellular adaptation via the microtubule cytoskeleton. We find that cells respond to fluctuations in cytoplasmic density by modulating microtubule acetylation, detyrosination, or MAP7 association, without differentially affecting polyglutamylation, tyrosination, or MAP4 association. These MAP-PTM combinations alter intracellular cargo transport, enabling the cell to respond to osmotic challenges. We further dissect the molecular mechanisms governing tubulin PTM specification, and find that MAP7 promotes acetylation by biasing the conformation of the microtubule lattice, and directly inhibits detyrosination. Acetylation and detyrosination can therefore be decoupled and utilized for distinct cellular purposes. Our data reveal that the MAP code dictates the tubulin code, resulting in remodeling of the microtubule cytoskeleton and alteration of intracellular transport as an integrated mechanism of cellular adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusheng Shen
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kassandra M Ori-McKenney
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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41
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Chen F, Li X, Yu Y, Li Q, Lin H, Xu L, Shum HC. Phase-separation facilitated one-step fabrication of multiscale heterogeneous two-aqueous-phase gel. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2793. [PMID: 37193701 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38394-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Engineering heterogeneous hydrogels with distinct phases at various lengths, which resemble biological tissues with high complexity, remains challenging by existing fabricating techniques that require complicated procedures and are often only applicable at bulk scales. Here, inspired by ubiquitous phase separation phenomena in biology, we present a one-step fabrication method based on aqueous phase separation to construct two-aqueous-phase gels that comprise multiple phases with distinct physicochemical properties. The gels fabricated by this approach exhibit enhanced interfacial mechanics compared with their counterparts obtained from conventional layer-by-layer methods. Moreover, two-aqueous-phase gels with programmable structures and tunable physicochemical properties can be conveniently constructed by adjusting the polymer constituents, gelation conditions, and combining different fabrication techniques, such as 3D-printing. The versatility of our approach is demonstrated by mimicking the key features of several biological architectures at different lengths: macroscale muscle-tendon connections; mesoscale cell patterning; microscale molecular compartmentalization. The present work advances the fabrication approach for designing heterogeneous multifunctional materials for various technological and biomedical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feipeng Chen
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Xiufeng Li
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Yafeng Yu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Qingchuan Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Haisong Lin
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Lizhi Xu
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR), China
| | - Ho Cheung Shum
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (SAR), China.
- Advanced Biomedical Instrumentation Centre, Hong Kong Science Park, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong (SAR), China.
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42
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Mendonca T, Lis-Slimak K, Matheson AB, Smith MG, Anane-Adjei AB, Ashworth JC, Cavanagh R, Paterson L, Dalgarno PA, Alexander C, Tassieri M, Merry CLR, Wright AJ. OptoRheo: Simultaneous in situ micro-mechanical sensing and imaging of live 3D biological systems. Commun Biol 2023; 6:463. [PMID: 37117487 PMCID: PMC10147656 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-04780-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Biomechanical cues from the extracellular matrix (ECM) are essential for directing many cellular processes, from normal development and repair, to disease progression. To better understand cell-matrix interactions, we have developed a new instrument named 'OptoRheo' that combines light sheet fluorescence microscopy with particle tracking microrheology. OptoRheo lets us image cells in 3D as they proliferate over several days while simultaneously sensing the mechanical properties of the surrounding extracellular and pericellular matrix at a sub-cellular length scale. OptoRheo can be used in two operational modalities (with and without an optical trap) to extend the dynamic range of microrheology measurements. We corroborated this by characterising the ECM surrounding live breast cancer cells in two distinct culture systems, cell clusters in 3D hydrogels and spheroids in suspension culture. This cutting-edge instrument will transform the exploration of drug transport through complex cell culture matrices and optimise the design of the next-generation of disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Mendonca
- Optics and Photonics Research Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
| | - Katarzyna Lis-Slimak
- Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Andrew B Matheson
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Matthew G Smith
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Jennifer C Ashworth
- Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- School of Veterinary Medicine & Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Leicestershire, UK
| | - Robert Cavanagh
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Lynn Paterson
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Paul A Dalgarno
- Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Heriot Watt University, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | - Manlio Tassieri
- Division of Biomedical Engineering, James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Catherine L R Merry
- Nottingham Biodiscovery Institute, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Amanda J Wright
- Optics and Photonics Research Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
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43
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Zhu Y, Zhang X, Sun L, Wang Y, Zhao Y. Engineering Human Brain Assembloids by Microfluidics. ADVANCED MATERIALS (DEERFIELD BEACH, FLA.) 2023; 35:e2210083. [PMID: 36634089 DOI: 10.1002/adma.202210083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Brain assembloids offer a highly promising strategy to model human brain development and disease, and advance potential studies in regenerative medicine, therapeutic screening, and drug discovery, while it is challenging to produce uniform brain organoids and assemble them flexibly by conventional methods. Here, a multidisciplinary engineered strategy to generate human brain assembloids with desired patterning based on microfluidic technology is presented. By encapsulating human induced pluripotent stem cells in microcapsules via microfluidic electrospray, brain region-specific organoids are efficiently formed, which are then introduced into a microfluidic chip consisting of a bottom layer with a micropillar array and a movable upper layer with a complementary microhole array. These brain organoids can settle into microholes and fuse into brain assembloids. As varied organoid microcapsules with designed 1D sequences or 2D arrays can be assembled into the vertical microholes, large coding amounts of fused brain assembloids with desired patterning can be produced. It is found that brain assembloids composed of cortical, hippocampal, and thalamic organoids can grow and function well, characterized with active neural migration and interaction. These features indicate that the suggested flexible, scalable, and controlled microfluidic systems are remarkably potential in wide applications of brain assembloids in neurological and biomedical fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujuan Zhu
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, 325001, China
| | - Xiaoxuan Zhang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Lingyu Sun
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
| | - Yuanjin Zhao
- Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, 210096, China
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44
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Boot RC, Roscani A, van Buren L, Maity S, Koenderink GH, Boukany PE. High-throughput mechanophenotyping of multicellular spheroids using a microfluidic micropipette aspiration chip. LAB ON A CHIP 2023; 23:1768-1778. [PMID: 36809459 PMCID: PMC10045894 DOI: 10.1039/d2lc01060g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Cell spheroids are in vitro multicellular model systems that mimic the crowded micro-environment of biological tissues. Their mechanical characterization can provide valuable insights in how single-cell mechanics and cell-cell interactions control tissue mechanics and self-organization. However, most measurement techniques are limited to probing one spheroid at a time, require specialized equipment and are difficult to handle. Here, we developed a microfluidic chip that follows the concept of glass capillary micropipette aspiration in order to quantify the viscoelastic behavior of spheroids in an easy-to-handle, more high-throughput manner. Spheroids are loaded in parallel pockets via a gentle flow, after which spheroid tongues are aspirated into adjacent aspiration channels using hydrostatic pressure. After each experiment, the spheroids are easily removed from the chip by reversing the pressure and new spheroids can be injected. The presence of multiple pockets with a uniform aspiration pressure, combined with the ease to conduct successive experiments, allows for a high throughput of tens of spheroids per day. We demonstrate that the chip provides accurate deformation data when working at different aspiration pressures. Lastly, we measure the viscoelastic properties of spheroids made of different cell lines and show how these are consistent with previous studies using established experimental techniques. In summary, our chip provides a high-throughput way to measure the viscoelastic deformation behavior of cell spheroids, in order to mechanophenotype different tissue types and examine the link between cell-intrinsic properties and overall tissue behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruben C Boot
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Alessio Roscani
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Lennard van Buren
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Samadarshi Maity
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
| | - Gijsje H Koenderink
- Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Pouyan E Boukany
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands.
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45
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Brandstätter T, Brückner DB, Han YL, Alert R, Guo M, Broedersz CP. Curvature induces active velocity waves in rotating spherical tissues. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1643. [PMID: 36964141 PMCID: PMC10039078 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37054-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The multicellular organization of diverse systems, including embryos, intestines, and tumors relies on coordinated cell migration in curved environments. In these settings, cells establish supracellular patterns of motion, including collective rotation and invasion. While such collective modes have been studied extensively in flat systems, the consequences of geometrical and topological constraints on collective migration in curved systems are largely unknown. Here, we discover a collective mode of cell migration in rotating spherical tissues manifesting as a propagating single-wavelength velocity wave. This wave is accompanied by an apparently incompressible supracellular flow pattern featuring topological defects as dictated by the spherical topology. Using a minimal active particle model, we reveal that this collective mode arises from the effect of curvature on the active flocking behavior of a cell layer confined to a spherical surface. Our results thus identify curvature-induced velocity waves as a mode of collective cell migration, impacting the dynamical organization of 3D curved tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom Brandstätter
- Arnold-Sommerfeld-Center for Theoretical Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstr. 37, 80333, Munich, Germany
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - David B Brückner
- Arnold-Sommerfeld-Center for Theoretical Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstr. 37, 80333, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Science and Technology Austria, Am Campus 1, 3400, Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Yu Long Han
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ricard Alert
- Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems, Nöthnitzerstr. 38, 01187, Dresden, Germany
- Center for Systems Biology Dresden, Pfotenhauerstr. 108, 01307, Dresden, Germany
- Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Princeton Center for Theoretical Science, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Ming Guo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Chase P Broedersz
- Arnold-Sommerfeld-Center for Theoretical Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Theresienstr. 37, 80333, Munich, Germany.
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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46
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Zhang J, Nikolic M, Tanner K, Scarcelli G. Rapid biomechanical imaging at low irradiation level via dual line-scanning Brillouin microscopy. Nat Methods 2023; 20:677-681. [PMID: 36894684 PMCID: PMC10363327 DOI: 10.1038/s41592-023-01816-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Brillouin microscopy is a technique for mechanical characterization of biological material without contact at high three-dimensional resolution. Here, we introduce dual line-scanning Brillouin microscopy (dLSBM), which improves acquisition speed and reduces irradiation dose by more than one order of magnitude with selective illumination and single-shot analysis of hundreds of points along the incident beam axis. Using tumor spheroids, we demonstrate the ability to capture the sample response to rapid mechanical perturbations as well as the spatially resolved evolution of the mechanical properties in growing spheroids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitao Zhang
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.
| | - Milos Nikolic
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
- Maryland Biophysics Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Kandice Tanner
- Laboratory of Cell Biology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Giuliano Scarcelli
- Fischell Department of Bioengineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
- Maryland Biophysics Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
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47
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Extracellular matrix physical properties govern the diffusion of nanoparticles in tumor microenvironment. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2209260120. [PMID: 36574668 PMCID: PMC9910605 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2209260120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Nanoparticles (NPs) are confronted with limited and disappointing delivery efficiency in tumors clinically. The tumor extracellular matrix (ECM), whose physical traits have recently been recognized as new hallmarks of cancer, forms a main steric obstacle for NP diffusion, yet the role of tumor ECM physical traits in NP diffusion remains largely unexplored. Here, we characterized the physical properties of clinical gastric tumor samples and observed limited distribution of NPs in decellularized tumor tissues. We also performed molecular dynamics simulations and in vitro hydrogel experiments through single-particle tracking to investigate the diffusion mechanism of NPs and understand the influence of tumor ECM physical properties on NP diffusion both individually and collectively. Furthermore, we developed an estimation matrix model with evaluation scores of NP diffusion efficiency through comprehensive analyses of the data. Thus, beyond finding that loose and soft ECM with aligned structure contribute to efficient diffusion, we now have a systemic model to predict NP diffusion efficiency based on ECM physical traits and provide critical guidance for personalized tumor diagnosis and treatment.
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48
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Chan TJ, Zhang X, Mak M. Biophysical informatics reveals distinctive phenotypic signatures and functional diversity of single-cell lineages. Bioinformatics 2023; 39:6969104. [PMID: 36610710 PMCID: PMC9825265 DOI: 10.1093/bioinformatics/btac833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
MOTIVATION In this work, we present an analytical method for quantifying both single-cell morphologies and cell network topologies of tumor cell populations and use it to predict 3D cell behavior. RESULTS We utilized a supervised deep learning approach to perform instance segmentation on label-free live cell images across a wide range of cell densities. We measured cell shape properties and characterized network topologies for 136 single-cell clones derived from the YUMM1.7 and YUMMER1.7 mouse melanoma cell lines. Using an unsupervised clustering algorithm, we identified six distinct morphological subclasses. We further observed differences in tumor growth and invasion dynamics across subclasses in an in vitro 3D spheroid model. Compared to existing methods for quantifying 2D or 3D phenotype, our analytical method requires less time, needs no specialized equipment and is capable of much higher throughput, making it ideal for applications such as high-throughput drug screening and clinical diagnosis. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION https://github.com/trevor-chan/Melanoma_NetworkMorphology. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor J Chan
- Department of Bioengineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Xingjian Zhang
- Department of Bioengineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
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49
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Zills G, Datta T, Malmi-Kakkada AN. Enhanced mechanical heterogeneity of cell collectives due to temporal fluctuations in cell elasticity. Phys Rev E 2023; 107:014401. [PMID: 36797877 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.107.014401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Cells are dynamic systems characterized by temporal variations in biophysical properties such as stiffness and contractility. Recent studies show that the recruitment and release of actin filaments into and out of the cell cortex-a network of proteins underneath the cell membrane-leads to cell stiffening prior to division and softening immediately afterward. In three-dimensional (3D) cell collectives, it is unclear whether the stiffness change during division at the single-cell scale controls the spatial structure and dynamics at the multicellular scale. This is an important question to understand because cell stiffness variations impact cell spatial organization and cancer progression. Using a minimal 3D model incorporating cell birth, death, and cell-to-cell elastic and adhesive interactions, we investigate the effect of mechanical heterogeneity-variations in individual cell stiffnesses that make up the cell collective-on tumor spatial organization and cell dynamics. We discover that spatial mechanical heterogeneity characterized by a spheroid core composed of stiffer cells and softer cells in the periphery emerges within dense 3D cell collectives, which may be a general feature of multicellular tumor growth. We show that heightened spatial mechanical heterogeneity enhances single-cell dynamics and volumetric tumor growth driven by fluctuations in cell elasticity. Our results could have important implications in understanding how spatiotemporal variations in single-cell stiffness determine tumor growth and spread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Garrett Zills
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Augusta University, 1120 15th Street, Augusta, Georgia 30912, USA
| | - Trinanjan Datta
- Department of Chemistry and Physics, Augusta University, 1120 15th Street, Augusta, Georgia 30912, USA
- Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106, USA
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50
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Elosegui-Artola A, Gupta A, Najibi AJ, Seo BR, Garry R, Tringides CM, de Lázaro I, Darnell M, Gu W, Zhou Q, Weitz DA, Mahadevan L, Mooney DJ. Matrix viscoelasticity controls spatiotemporal tissue organization. NATURE MATERIALS 2023; 22:117-127. [PMID: 36456871 DOI: 10.1038/s41563-022-01400-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 59.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Biomolecular and physical cues of the extracellular matrix environment regulate collective cell dynamics and tissue patterning. Nonetheless, how the viscoelastic properties of the matrix regulate collective cell spatial and temporal organization is not fully understood. Here we show that the passive viscoelastic properties of the matrix encapsulating a spheroidal tissue of breast epithelial cells guide tissue proliferation in space and in time. Matrix viscoelasticity prompts symmetry breaking of the spheroid, leading to the formation of invading finger-like protrusions, YAP nuclear translocation and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition both in vitro and in vivo in a Arp2/3-complex-dependent manner. Computational modelling of these observations allows us to establish a phase diagram relating morphological stability with matrix viscoelasticity, tissue viscosity, cell motility and cell division rate, which is experimentally validated by biochemical assays and in vitro experiments with an intestinal organoid. Altogether, this work highlights the role of stress relaxation mechanisms in tissue growth dynamics, a fundamental process in morphogenesis and oncogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Elosegui-Artola
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain
- Cell and Tissue Mechanobiology Laboratory, Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
- Department of Physics, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Anupam Gupta
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India
| | - Alexander J Najibi
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Bo Ri Seo
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ryan Garry
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Christina M Tringides
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard Program in Biophysics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Harvard-MIT Division in Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Irene de Lázaro
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Max Darnell
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Wei Gu
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Qiao Zhou
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
| | - David A Weitz
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - L Mahadevan
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Physics, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - David J Mooney
- Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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