Tumor Cell Mechanosensing During Incorporation into the Brain Microvascular Endothelium.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

Tumor metastasis to the brain occurs in approximately 20% of all cancer cases and often occurs due to tumor cells crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The brain microenvironment is comprised of a soft hyaluronic acid (HA)-rich extracellular matrix with an elastic modulus of 0.1-1 kPa, whose crosslinking is often altered in disease states.

Methods

To explore the effects of HA crosslinking on breast tumor cell migration, we developed a biomimetic model of the human brain endothelium, consisting of brain microvascular endothelial cell (HBMEC) monolayers on HA and gelatin (HA/gelatin) films with different degrees of crosslinking, as established by varying the concentration of the crosslinker Extralink.

Results and discussion

Metastatic breast tumor cell mi

SUBMITTER: Pranda MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6816707 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature