Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 24, 2025
08:19
Author Spotlight: Shear Assay Protocol for the Determination of Single-Cell Material Properties
Published on: May 19, 2023
1.9K
Cancer as a biophysical disease: Targeting the mechanical-adaptability program
Ly T S Nguyen1, Mark Allan C Jacob1, Eleana Parajón1
1Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland.
Biophysical Journal
|May 4, 2022
Summary
Cancer cells are highly adaptable due to their mechanical machinery, offering potential therapeutic targets. However, targeting this cellular mechanical program requires careful consideration of side effects.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Cancer Biology
- Cellular Mechanics
Background:
- Cancer research is exploring novel therapeutic strategies beyond traditional approaches.
- Cellular mechanical machinery is an emerging area of interest for cancer treatment.
- Cancer cells exhibit adaptability to microenvironmental changes, driven by their mechanical properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce the potential of targeting the cellular mechanical program for cancer treatment.
- To discuss the challenges and shortcomings associated with targeting cancer cell mechanics.
- To highlight the role of mechanical proteins in cancer progression and adaptability.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on cancer cell mechanics and associated proteins.
- Analysis of the adaptability of cancer cells to physical microenvironments.
- Identification of key proteins involved in the cancer cell mechanical program.
Main Results:
- Cancer cells are not uniformly stiff or soft but highly adaptable.
- Specific proteins (myosin II, α-actinins, filamins, actin) are crucial for cancer cell mechanical programs and adaptability.
- Altered expression and involvement of these proteins in cancer progression and metastasis were observed.
Conclusions:
- Targeting the cellular mechanical program presents a promising therapeutic strategy for cancer.
- The mechanical program is integral to cancer development, metastasis, and other cellular processes.
- Careful consideration of potential side effects is essential when developing therapies targeting the mechanical program.
Related Concept Videos
02:12What is Cancer?
11.3K
Cells and tissues must meticulously coordinate their activities for the normal functioning of the human body. Therefore, they exhibit socially responsible behavior - resting, growing, dividing, differentiating, or dying - for the organism’s benefit. Cancer arises when cells divide uncontrollably and invade other tissues or organs.
Although people have known about cancer for centuries, it was only in 1761 that Giovanni Morgagni of Padua performed a detailed autopsy of...
Although people have known about cancer for centuries, it was only in 1761 that Giovanni Morgagni of Padua performed a detailed autopsy of...
11.3K
02:57Targeted Cancer Therapies
7.9K
The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
There are several types of targeted therapies against...
7.9K
03:03mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression
3.9K
The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
The mTOR pathway or the...
3.9K
02:07Tumor Progression
6.5K
Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
6.5K
02:18Cancer
50.0K
Cancers arise due to mutations in genes involved in the regulation of cell division, which leads to unrestricted cell proliferation. Modern science and medicine have made great strides in the understanding and treatment of cancer, including eradicating cancer in some patients. However, there is still no cure for cancer. This is largely due to the fact that cancer is a large group of many diseases.
50.0K
02:17The Tumor Microenvironment
6.8K
Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
6.8K