Extracellular fluid viscosity enhances cell migration and cancer dissemination.

ABSTRACT: Cells respond to physical stimuli, such as stiffness¹, fluid shear stress² and hydraulic pressure^3,4. Extracellular fluid viscosity is a key physical cue that varies under physiological and pathological conditions, such as cancer⁵. However, its influence on cancer biology and the mechanism by which cells sense and respond to changes in viscosity are unknown. Here we demonstrate that elevated viscosity counterintuitively increases the motility of various cell types on two-dimensional surfaces and in confinement, and increases cell dissemination from three-dimensional tumour spheroids. Increased mechanical loading imposed by elevated viscosity induces an actin-related protein 2/3 (ARP2/3)-complex-dependent dense actin network, which enhances Na

SUBMITTER: Bera K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9646524 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature