Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
FIGURE 10.3: Migratory behavior within the microchannel structure of
cancer cells with an elastic cytosol and a still rigid nucleus (i.e.,
surface
;C
surface
;N
). (A) Images of a time-lapse simulation taken at t = 1 (top panel), 2
(middle panel), and 8 (bottom panel) h. By dramatically remodeling their cy-
toskeleton, cells are now able to also enter the intermediate channel. However,
due to the presence of a stiff nucleus, they cannot penetrate the smallest struc-
ture. For better visualization, in the bottom panel, the nucleus is encircled
manually. (B) Summary of cell migratory behavior within the matrix device.
In the case of the widest channel, cells display the same invasive behavior as
in Figure 10.2. In the case of the middle channels, they instead acquire a per-
meative phenotype. Finally, in the smallest channel, cells are still penetrative
but uninvasive. The quantitative evaluation of specific cell motile phenotypes,
represented in the histogram plot, is obtained by performing 100 simulations.
(C) Magnification of moving cell in the close proximity of the smallest channel
entrance. It is possible to see how the stiff voluminous nucleus is not able to
pass through the confined space, allowing only the penetration of part of the
cytosol.
elasticity enables cell invasion and movement into highly confined spaces. In-
deed, we lower the model parameter
surface
;N
, fixing it equal to 0.9 (it how-
ever remains higher than
surface
;C
= 0:5, since the cytosolic region is typically
softer). This mimics either induced reorganizations of the chromatin structure
and/or of lamin intermediate filaments (whose assemblies form a part of the
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