Measuring collective cell movement and extracellular matrix interactions using magnetic resonance imaging

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Cell Biology
• Biomaterials

Background:

• Collective cell migration is crucial for tissue development and disease.
• Understanding cell-matrix interactions at the mesoscopic level is challenging.
• Existing methods lack the resolution to capture dynamic forces generated by cell clusters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate collective cell behaviors in migration and force generation at the mesoscopic level.
• To apply Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for dynamic cell mechanics studies.
• To analyze cell-ECM interactions within a 3D environment.

Main Methods:

• Embedding MDCK, NBT2, and MEF cells in 3D extracellular matrix (ECM).
• Utilizing iron accumulation in cell clusters for MRI contrast.
• Employing time-lapse MRI to measure dynamic stress fields, cell distribution, and ECM deformation.

Main Results:

• Cell clusters in 3D ECM exert translational forces (pulling, pushing) and torque.
• Macroscopic deformation of the ECM results from the sum of forces from multiple cell clusters.
• Simultaneous monitoring of cell distribution, ECM deformation, and stress fields was achieved.

Conclusions:

• MRI is a viable tool for mesoscopic imaging of cell-ECM interactions.
• Collective cell clusters actively remodel their 3D microenvironment.
• This study provides new insights into the mechanical forces driving collective cell behaviors.