Substrate stiffness regulates triple-negative breast cancer signaling through CXCR4 receptor dynamics.

ABSTRACT: Biophysical properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM), such as mechanical stiffness, directly regulate behaviors of cancer cells linked to cancer initiation and progression. Cells sense and respond to ECM stiffness in the context of dynamic changes in biochemical inputs, such as growth factors and chemokines. While commonly studied as isolated inputs, mechanisms by which combined effects of mechanical stiffness and biochemical factors affect functions of cancer cells remain poorly defined. Using a combination of elastically supportive surface (ESS) culture dishes with defined stiffnesses and single-cell imaging, we report here that culturing cells on a stiff (28 kPa) versus soft (1.5 kPa) substrate increases CXCR4 and EGFR expression and promotes greater ligand-dependent internalization

SUBMITTER: Ho KKY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12343888 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature