Dresden 2017 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 59: Multi-Cellular-Systems

BP 59.5: Talk

Friday, March 24, 2017, 10:45–11:00, HÜL 386

How demixing and crowding behavior influence the invasive potential of composite tumor-like systems — •Paul Heine, Jürgen Lippoldt, Steffen Grosser, and Linda Oswald — Soft Matter Physics, University of Leipzig, Germany

The progression of cancer invasion is regulated through microenvironmetal properties and their transformation for example in compartment penetration but critically also by the tumor composition itself. The heterogeneity of this system gives rise to an interesting phenomenon termed the jamming transition, a switch from a fluid-like unjammed cell layer to an almost solid-like state.

While not entirely understood, recent studies have revealed that single-cell properties like contractility, cortical tension, adhesion and motility influence this transition and have an profound impact on the cell layer behavior in a crowded environment. During the epithelial-mesenchymal transition a plethora of mechanical and biochemical changes lead to a drastic shift in cell polarity, shape, cell-cell adhesion, migratory and invasive properties.

Our investigation of mixed systems of metastatic and benign cells exposed a demixing process of the two cell types and vastly different crowding performance. While epithelial cells form a dense sheet of caged cells, the mesenchymal-like cells compose seemingly uncaged pools within the layer. This makes this a particularly fascinating system to study due to its bifurcational nature, which could allow for a transition between fluid and solid cell layer and vice versa.