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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 8, 2025

Assessing Tumor Microenvironment of Metastasis Doorway-Mediated Vascular Permeability Associated with Cancer Cell Dissemination using Intravital Imaging and Fixed Tissue Analysis

Assessing Tumor Microenvironment of Metastasis Doorway-Mediated Vascular Permeability Associated with Cancer Cell Dissemination using Intravital Imaging and Fixed Tissue Analysis

Published on: June 26, 2019

Tumor cell nuclei soften during transendothelial migration.

Anya B Roberts¹, Jitao Zhang², Vijay Raj Singh³

¹Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139, MA, USA.

Journal of Biomechanics

|April 21, 2021

Summary

Cancer cells soften their nuclei and cell bodies to squeeze through blood vessels during metastasis. This mechanical change aids tumor cell extravasation and spread.

Keywords:

Brillouin microscopy Cell modulus Interference microscopy Metastasis

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Assessing Tumor Microenvironment of Metastasis Doorway-Mediated Vascular Permeability Associated with Cancer Cell Dissemination using Intravital Imaging and Fixed Tissue Analysis

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Live-imaging of Breast Epithelial Cell Migration After the Transient Depletion of TIP60

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Published on: December 7, 2017

Area of Science:

Biophysics
Cancer Biology
Cell Mechanics

Background:

Cancer metastasis involves tumor cells deforming to pass through blood vessel walls.
Nuclear stiffness is crucial for transendothelial migration, but its changes during this process are unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate changes in tumor cell and nuclear mechanical properties during transendothelial migration.
To determine if tumor cells alter stiffness to facilitate extravasation.

Main Methods:

Utilized Brillouin confocal microscopy (BCM) and confocal reflectance quantitative phase microscopy (QPM).
Non-contact imaging tracked mechanical properties of live, transmigrating tumor cells (MDA-MB-231, A549, A375) in an in vitro collagen gel.
Monitored changes in cell and nuclear stiffness during extravasation.

Main Results:

Both tumor cells and their nuclei exhibited decreased stiffness (softening) upon extravasation.
The softened state of the nuclear membrane persisted for at least 24 hours post-migration.
Observed softening in multiple cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, A549, A375).

Conclusions:

Tumor cells dynamically adjust their mechanical properties, specifically softening, to facilitate extravasation.
This mechanical plasticity is a key adaptation for cancer cells during the metastatic process.
Findings provide insights into the physical mechanisms underlying cancer cell migration.