An open access microfluidic device for the study of the physical limits of cancer cell deformation during migration in confined environments.

ABSTRACT: During metastasis, cancerous cells leave the primary tumour, pass into the circulatory system, and invade into new tissues. To migrate through the wide variety of environments they encounter, the cells must be able to remodel their cell shape efficiently to squeeze through small gaps in the extracellular matrix or extravasate into the blood stream or lymphatic system. Several studies have shown that the nucleus is the main limiting factor to migration through small gaps (Wolf et al., 2013; Harada et al., 2014; Mak et al., 2013). To understand the physical limits of cancer cell translocation in confined environments, we have fabricated a microfluidic device to study their ability to adapt their nuclear and cellular shape when passing through small gaps. The device is open access for ease of

SUBMITTER: Malboubi M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4567073 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature