Ultrasound-mediated mechanical forces activate selective tumor cell apoptosis.

ABSTRACT: Recent studies show that tumor cells undergo apoptosis after mechanical stretching, which promotes normal cell growth. Since ultrasound can produce similar sub-cellular mechanical stresses on the nanoscale, here we test the effect of ultrasound-mediated mechanical forces on tumors and normal cell survival. Surprisingly, tumor cells undergo apoptosis through a calpain-dependent mitochondrial pathway that relies upon calcium entry through the mechanosensitive Piezo1 channels. This is a general property of all tumor cell lines tested irrespective of tissue origin, but normal cells are unaffected. In vivo, ultrasound treatment promotes tumor cell killing in a mouse model with invasive CT26 cancer cell subcutaneous tumors and in the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model with relatively min

SUBMITTER: Tijore A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11883105 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature