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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 18, 2026

Characterization of Cell Membrane Extensions and Studying Their Roles in Cancer Cell Adhesion Dynamics

Characterization of Cell Membrane Extensions and Studying Their Roles in Cancer Cell Adhesion Dynamics

Published on: March 26, 2018

Confinement, Jamming, and Adhesion in Cancer Cells Dissociating from a Collectively Invading Strand.

Wei Wang¹, Robert A Law^2,3, Emiliano Perez Ipiña¹

¹Department of Physics & Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218, USA.

|September 8, 2025

Summary

Cancer cell dissociation during invasion, leading to metastasis, is controlled by cell states and adhesion. Leader cells promote single-cell detachment, while strong cell-cell adhesion results in larger, fewer ruptures.

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Area of Science:

Biophysics
Cancer Biology
Cellular Mechanics

Background:

Tumor invasion and metastasis involve cancer cells breaking away from the primary tumor.
Understanding the mechanisms controlling cell dissociation is crucial for predicting metastatic potential.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the factors controlling cancer cell dissociation during invasion.
To determine if cell-cell adhesion and chemotactic cues influence single-cell versus group dissociation.

Main Methods:

Developed a physical model based on experiments using microfluidic devices with varying microchannel widths.
Employed a phase-field cell motility model incorporating three distinct cell states: follower, guided, and leader cells.
Analyzed the impact of cell-channel adhesion, cell-cell adhesion, and chemotaxis on cell dissociation.

Main Results:

Most dissociation events involved single cells, with larger group ruptures observed in wider channels.
Rupture probability was largely independent of channel width.
Cell-channel adhesion was essential for invasion in narrow channels; strong cell-cell adhesion led to fewer, larger ruptures.
Strong chemotaxis promoted larger and faster ruptures.
Cellular unjamming was identified as necessary but not sufficient for rupture.

Conclusions:

A physical model with leader cells successfully recapitulates experimental observations of cancer cell dissociation.
Cell-cell adhesion and chemotaxis significantly influence the size and frequency of cell ruptures during invasion.
These findings provide insights into the physical mechanisms driving metastasis.