Publication Date
2019
Journal or Book Title
ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering
Abstract
Fusion of cancer cells is thought to contribute to tumor development and drug resistance. The low frequency of cell fusion events and the instability of fused cells have hindered our ability to understand the molecular mechanisms that govern cell fusion. We have demonstrated that several breast cancer cell lines can fuse into multinucleated giant cells in vitro, and the initiation and longevity of fused cells can be regulated solely by biophysical factors. Dynamically tuning the adhesive area of the patterned substrates, reducing cytoskeletal tensions pharmacologically, altering matrix stiffness, and modulating pattern curvature all supported the spontaneous fusion and stability of these multinucleated giant cells. These observations highlight that the biomechanical microenvironment of cancer cells, including the matrix rigidity and interfacial curvature, can directly modulate their fusogenicity, an unexplored mechanism through which biophysical cues regulate tumor progression.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.8b00861
Pages
3817-3827
Volume
5
Issue
12
License
UMass Amherst Open Access Policy
Recommended Citation
Zhu, Peiran; Tseng, Ning-Hsuan; Xie, Tianfa; Li, Ningwei; Fitts-Sprague, Isaac; Peyton, Shelly; and Sun, Yubing, "Biomechanical microenvironment regulates fusogenicity of breast cancer cells" (2019). ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering. 876.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.8b00861