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Let There Be Force: Modeling Cell‐ECM Interactions During Cancer Invasion
Author(s) -
Jiang Yi
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.30.1_supplement.232.2
Subject(s) - extracellular matrix , matrix (chemical analysis) , microbiology and biotechnology , cell , cell migration , chemistry , biophysics , materials science , biology , composite material , biochemistry
Extracellular matrix (ECM), the fibrous material that forms a network embedding cells in a tissue, significantly affects many aspects of cellular behavior, including cell movement and proliferation. Transgenic mouse tumor studies indicate that excess collagen, a major component of ECM, enhances tumor formation and invasiveness. Moreover, cell interactions with the collagen matrix result in aligned fibers that facilitate cell invasion. However, the underlying mechanisms are unclear, partially because the properties of ECM are complex, with diverse topographies and mechanical properties depending on various biophysical parameters. We have developed a three‐dimensional elastic computational fiber network model, and parameterized it with in vitro collagen experiments. The model can fill the gap between microscopic single collagen fiber studies and macroscopic collagen gel studies. We further developed a multiscale biomechanical cell migration model that interacts with the collagen network, and studied plasticity of cell migration in 3D ECM. This model is the first step toward a fully biomechanical cell‐matrix interaction model for changes in matrix organization during cell migration and tumor invasion. Support or Funding Information This work has been supported by the National Institute of Health 5U01CA143069.