On-chip non-contact mechanical cell stimulation - quantification of SKOV-3 alignment to suspended microstructures

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Cell Biology
• Cancer Research
• Microfluidics

Background:

• Cancer progression is traditionally attributed to genetic mutations.
• Altered cellular and microenvironmental mechanobiology offers a mutation-independent mechanism for cancer progression.
• Microfluidic platforms enable controlled mechanical stimulation of cells.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of mechanobiological profiles in cancer progression.
• To explore mutation-independent cellular responses to mechanical cues.
• To characterize the observed alignment of SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells to micro-structures in a microfluidic platform.

Main Methods:

• Development of a microfluidic cell-culture platform with integrated flexible actuators (micro-pistons).
• Sequential cyclic compression and static/retracted positioning of cancer cells.
• Label-free analysis of cell alignment using elongation angles relative to micro-piston peripheries.

Main Results:

• SKOV-3 ovarian cancer cells showed significant alignment towards micro-pistons of various shapes (circular, triangular, square), irrespective of direct contact or piston position.
• This alignment was observed even with a gap of ~108 μm or when pistons were actively retracted.
• MCF7 cancer cells and MCF10A non-cancerous cells did not exhibit similar alignment.

Conclusions:

• SKOV-3 cells display a previously unrecognized mechanotactic behavior, moving and growing towards regions under micro-pistons.
• This mechanotaxis is a mutation-independent phenomenon.
• Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms and implications for cancer biology.