Coupled Dynamics in Phenotype and Tissue Spaces Shape the Three-Dimensional Cancer Invasion.

ABSTRACT: The metastasis of solid tumors hinges on cancer cells navigating through complex three-dimensional tissue environments, characterized by mechanical heterogeneity and biological diversity. This process is closely linked to the dynamic migration behavior exhibited by cancer cells, which dictates the invasiveness of tumors. In our study, we investigate tumor spheroids composed of breast cancer cells embedded in three-dimensional (3D) collagen matrices. Through a combination of quantitative experiments, artificial-intelligence-driven image processing, and mathematical modeling, we uncover rapid transitions in cell phenotypes and phenotype-dependent motility among disseminating cells originating from tumor spheroids. Persistent invasion leads to continuous remodeling of the extracellular matrix

SUBMITTER: Naylor A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12369984 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature