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Mapping cellular-scale internal mechanics in 3D tissues with thermally responsive hydrogel probes
Stephanie Mok1, Sara Al Habyan2, Charles Ledoux1
1Department of Chemical Engineering, McGill University, 3610 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C5, Canada.
Nature Communications
|September 22, 2020
Summary
Researchers developed smart microgels to measure tissue mechanics in 3D. These sensors revealed varying rigidity in spheroids and identified rigid sites in invasive breast cancer, offering insights into cancer cell invasion.
Area of Science:
- Biomaterials Science
- Cellular Mechanics
- Cancer Biology
Background:
- Local tissue mechanics are crucial for cell function.
- Measuring mechanical properties at cellular scales in living 3D tissues is challenging.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and validate thermoresponsive microgels for measuring residual tissue elasticity.
- To map internal mechanical profiles of multicellular spheroids.
- To investigate mechanical cues in breast cancer progression.
Main Methods:
- Development and characterization of thermoresponsive, smart material microgels.
- Optical assaying of microgels dispersed or injected into tissues.
- High-resolution mapping of mechanical profiles in multicellular spheroids and an in vivo mouse model.
Main Results:
- Microgels successfully measured residual tissue elasticity after creep over several weeks.
- Internal mechanical profiles of multicellular spheroids showed broad rigidity ranges.
- Unexpectedly high rigidity sites were observed in invasive breast cancer spheroids and in vivo models.
Conclusions:
- Thermoresponsive microgels provide a novel tool for assessing tissue mechanics at cellular scales.
- Heterogeneous rigidity within tumors, particularly focal sites of high rigidity, may play a role in cancer cell invasion.
- These findings suggest new mechanical mechanisms driving cancer progression within the tumor microenvironment.
