Berlin 2012 – scientific programme
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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik
BP 17: Posters: Physics of Cells
BP 17.31: Poster
Wednesday, March 28, 2012, 17:30–19:30, Poster A
Cancer cell migration through narrow channels — •Caroline Gluth1, Irina Harder2, Amy C. Rowat3, and Ben Fabry1 — 1LPMT, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany — 2ODEM-Gruppe, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Germany — 3SEAS, Harvard University, Cambridge, USA
Cancer cells have the ability to migrate through narrow pores and channels of the extracellular matrix. To study this process under defined conditions and to find a minimum pore size through which cancer cells can migrate, we used soft lithography to fabricate 3-dimensional polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates with rectangular channels of varying width (2 - 10 um) and height (3 - 7 um). The channels had a length of 20 um at constant width, or a length of 140 um with a tapered shape (opening angles of 4 - 16 deg) and a width of 2 um at the narrow end. MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cells were able to migrate through the narrowest openings (2 x 3 um). We found two dominating migration strategies which are not commonly observed in cells migrating on planar 2-dimensional substrates. The majority of cells protruded thin (< 3 um) and long (order of 100 um) dendritic-like filopodia into the channel lumen, while some cells also showed extensive blebbing and amoeboid-like movements. Similar behavior can also be seen in mouse embryonic fibroblasts and in cancer cells migrating through a 3-dimensional collagen network. These results demonstrate that cancer cells are able to choose between multiple migration strategies for navigation through a highly confined environment.