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Exploiting Matrix Stiffness to Overcome Drug Resistance

Hakan Berk Aydin1, Altug Ozcelikkale2,3, Ahmet Acar1

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, Middle East Technical University, 06800, Ankara, Turkey.

ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering
|July 5, 2024
PubMed

Insights

Drug resistance in cancer is a major challenge. Targeting tumor matrix stiffness and related cellular processes like epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition can overcome resistance and improve cancer treatments.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Cancer Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Drug resistance is a significant hurdle in cancer therapy.
  • Tumor matrix stiffness influences cancer cell behavior through mechanotransduction.
  • Understanding these mechanisms is crucial for developing effective treatments.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in tumor matrix biology.
  • To explore therapeutic strategies targeting matrix stiffness and its cellular consequences.
  • To connect these findings to overcoming drug resistance in cancer progression and metastasis.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent studies on tumor matrix biology.
  • Analysis of signal transduction pathways affected by matrix stiffness.
  • Synthesis of therapeutic approaches targeting identified cellular processes.

Main Results:

  • Matrix stiffness impacts cancer cell mechanotransduction.
  • Aberrant signal transduction pathways drive epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, cancer stemness, and autophagy.
  • These processes are linked to the development of drug resistance.

Conclusions:

  • Targeting tumor matrix stiffness and associated cellular pathways offers a promising strategy.
  • Interventions aimed at epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, stemness, and autophagy may overcome drug resistance.
  • This approach could lead to novel, personalized cancer treatment modalities.
Keywords:
cancer drug resistanceextracellular matrixmatrix biologymatrix stiffnesstumor microenvironment

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