Mammary fibroblasts remodel fibrillar collagen microstructure in a biomimetic nanocomposite hydrogel.

ABSTRACT: Architecture and microstructure of type I collagen fibers constitute central regulators of tumor invasion with aligned fibers providing a route for migration of stromal and cancer cells. Several different aspects of fibrillar collagen, such as stiffness, density, thickness, and pore size, may regulate migration of cancer cells, but determining effects of any one parameter requires clear decoupling of physical properties of collagen networks. The objective of this work is to develop and apply an in vitro three-dimensional (3D) tumor-extra cellular matrix (ECM) model with tunable physical parameters to define how stromal fibroblasts modulate collagen microstructure to control migration of breast cancer cells. We incorporated two different types of polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)

SUBMITTER: Liu C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6291359 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature