Microfluidics meets 3D cancer cell migration

Pranav Mehta; Zaid Rahman; Peter Ten Dijke; Pouyan E Boukany

doi:10.1016/j.trecan.2022.03.006

Microfluidics meets 3D cancer cell migration

Trends Cancer. 2022 Aug;8(8):683-697. doi: 10.1016/j.trecan.2022.03.006. Epub 2022 May 12.

Authors

Pranav Mehta¹, Zaid Rahman², Peter Ten Dijke³, Pouyan E Boukany⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cell and Chemical Biology and Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands.
² Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands.
³ Department of Cell and Chemical Biology and Oncode Institute, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands. Electronic address: P.ten_Dijke@lumc.nl.
⁴ Department of Chemical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Van der Maasweg 9, 2629 HZ, Delft, The Netherlands. Electronic address: p.e.boukany@tudelft.nl.

PMID: 35568647
DOI: 10.1016/j.trecan.2022.03.006

Abstract

An early step of metastasis requires a complex and coordinated migration of invasive tumor cells into the surrounding tumor microenvironment (TME), which contains extracellular matrix (ECM). It is being appreciated that 3D matrix-based microfluidic models have an advantage over conventional in vitro and animal models to study tumor progression events. Recent microfluidic models have enabled recapitulation of key mechanobiological features present within the TME to investigate collective cancer cell migration and invasion. Microfluidics also allows for functional interrogation and therapeutic manipulation of specific steps to study the dynamic aspects of tumor progression. In this review, we focus on recent developments in cancer cell migration and how microfluidic strategies have evolved to address the physiological complexities of the TME to visualize migration modes adapted by various tumor cells.

Keywords: cancer-associated fibroblasts; cell migration; interstitial flow; microfluidics; tumor microenvironment.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Cell Movement
Extracellular Matrix / pathology
Microfluidics*
Neoplasms* / pathology
Tumor Microenvironment