How cancer cells change shape, move and invade different types of tissues

This discovery, published in Scientific Reports, is a key step in understanding and preventing cancer metastasis

Sun Bo, a biophysicist at Ohio State University who led the research, said: "After billions of years of evolution, cells have learned many different ways of migration

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He said: "Many cancer therapies that target specific ways of moving cells cannot prevent tumor metastasis to a large extent because the cells move to another available migration procedure

Sun and his collaborators in the School of Science and Engineering at Oregon State University used a type of artificial intelligence called computer vision to track cell migration programs based on the shape of cells; computer vision obtains information from digital photos, videos, and other visual inputs

"Cell shape is determined by cell function, and the loss of characteristic shape is related to dysfunction," Sun said

He said that the results of the study show that cancer cells change their migration patterns far more frequently than previously thought

"Although the constant transformation we saw in the breast cancer cells studied does not necessarily maximize their speed in a particular type of tissue, it allows the cells to invade the heterogeneous tissue environment," Sun said

The researchers pointed out that in the process of metastasis, the migrating cancer cells must pass through the extracellular matrix with different mechanical properties

Extracellular matrix (ECM) is the non-cellular part of tissues and organs

The machine learning and visualization techniques used by the scientists show that the shape changes of cells are regulated by the Rho/rock signal of the molecular control center.

Using a model that represents two mechanically distinct extracellular matrix layers, the scientists found that as cells approach and pass through the interface between the two layers of matrix, their shape and movement program gradually change

"The way in which cell morphology changes-morphological dynamics-is a key factor in determining its invasion potential.

Journal Reference :

1. Christopher Z.