Tissue-Like Scaffolds Created by Two-Photon Polymerization for Testing Cancer Cell Behavior in Confined Environments

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Cancer Biology
• Cellular Mechanics

Background:

• Cancer cell behavior in confined environments is crucial for metastasis.
• Biomimetic extracellular matrix (ECM) models are needed to study cancer cell invasion.
• Understanding cell morphology and migration in 3D is key to cancer research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create and characterize biomimetic poroelastic scaffolds with tunable pore sizes.
• To investigate the effect of collagen coating on cancer cell adhesion and invasion within these scaffolds.
• To analyze cancer cell morphology, migration, and focal adhesion dynamics in 3D environments.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of 3D woodpile-like scaffolds using two-photon polymerization in SU-8.
• Creation of scaffolds with submicrometer pore dimensions.
• Collagen coating of scaffolds and quantitative analysis using fluorescence microscopy.
• Assessment of cancer cell (melanoma) adhesion, spreading, migration, and focal adhesion formation.

Main Results:

• Collagen coating doubled melanoma cancer cell affinity for the scaffolds.
• Collagen-coated scaffolds promoted denser and stronger focal adhesion contacts.
• Melanoma cells exhibited larger spreading areas and higher migration velocities on collagen-coated scaffolds.
• Enhanced cell adhesion and migration correlated with increased invasive behavior in 3D.

Conclusions:

• Biomimetic poroelastic scaffolds with collagen coating effectively model cancer cell invasion.
• Collagen plays a significant role in enhancing cancer cell attachment, spreading, and migration within 3D matrices.
• These findings provide insights into the physical mechanisms governing cancer cell metastasis in confined spaces.