3D Volumetric Mechanosensation of MCF7 Breast Cancer Spheroids in a Linear Stiffness Gradient GelAGE.

ABSTRACT: The tumor microenvironment presents spatiotemporal shifts in biomechanical properties with cancer progression. Hydrogel biomaterials like GelAGE offer the stiffness tuneability to recapitulate dynamic changes in tumor tissues by altering photo-energy exposures. Here, a tuneable hydrogel with spatiotemporal control of stiffness and mesh-network is developed. The volume of MCF7 spheroids encapsulated in a linear stiffness gradient demonstrates an inverse relationship with stiffness (p < 0.0001). As spheroids are exposed to increased crosslinking (stiffer) and greater mechanical confinement, spheroid stiffness increases. Protein expression (TRPV4, β1 integrin, E-cadherin, and F-actin) decreases with increasing stiffness while showing strong correlations to spheroid volume (r²  > 0.

SUBMITTER: Vahala D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11481087 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature