Minimization of thermodynamic costs in cancer cell invasion

Liyu Liu, Guillaume Duclos, Bo Sun, Jeongseog Lee, Amy Wu, Yoonseok Kam, Eduardo D. Sontag, Howard A. Stone, James C. Sturm, Robert A. Gatenby, Robert H. Austin

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

55 Scopus citations

Abstract

Metastasis, the truly lethal aspect of cancer, occurs when metastatic cancer cells in a tumor break through the basement membrane and penetrate the extracellular matrix. We show that MDA-MB-231 metastatic breast cancer cells cooperatively invade a 3D collagen matrix while following a glucose gradient. The invasion front of the cells isadynamic one, with different cells assuming the leadon atime scaleof70h.The front cell leadershipisdynamic presumably because of metabolic costs associated with a long-range strain field that precedes the invading cell front, which we have imaged using confocal imaging and marker beadsimbeddedinthe collagen matrix. We suggest this could be a quantitative assay for an invasive phenotype tracking a glucose gradient and show that the invading cells act in a cooperative manner by exchanging leaders in the invading front.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1686-1691
Number of pages6
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume110
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 29 2013

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General

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