Investigating malignancy-dependent mechanical properties of breast cancer cells

Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2023 Jul:2023:1-4. doi: 10.1109/EMBC40787.2023.10340235.

Abstract

Cancer invasiveness significantly impacts cellular mechanical properties which regulate cell motility and, subsequently, cell metastatic potential. Understanding the adhesion forces and stiffness/rigidity of cancer cells can provide better insights into their mechanical adaptability related to their degree of invasiveness. Here, we used single-cell force spectroscopy in conjunction with quartz crystal microbalance-with dissipation measurements to compare the mechanical properties of mammary epithelial cancer cells with different metastatic potentials, namely MCF-7 (non-invasive) and MDA-MB-231 (aggressive and highly invasive). Our results showed that MCF-7 exhibits larger adhesion forces, stronger intercellular forces, and a considerably stiff/rigid phenotype, contrary to MDA-MB-231. The biomechanical properties obtained are associated with the malignant potential of these cells such that the forces of adhesion and viscoelasticity are inversely proportional to cell invasiveness. This study integrates a new quantitative tool with real-time measurements to provide better insights into the mechanics of cancer cells across metastatic stages.

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms* / pathology
  • Cell Movement
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Mechanical Phenomena