A nanomechanical approach to understanding metastasis through cell adhesion measurement

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Saif Abstract: (Proposal no. 0725831)The objective of the research is to measure adhesion strengths between a variety of cancer cells (differing in their metastatic potention) and a nano patterened substrate. The cells will be at different stages of monolayer confluence (sparse, confluent and over confluent) and after they are kept in suspension for various times (1-5 days). The approach is, we will develop a nano patterned cell adhesion substrate and a 3D force sensor. The patterned substrate will offer prescribed area of adhesion with cell adhesion molecule, fibronectin. The 3D force sensor, with a functionalized probe, will measure the force to detach the cell from the known adhesion area.Intellectual merit: Cancer related deaths are mostly caused by metastasis of malignant cells, not by the tumor itself. A well-known hypothesis is that, during metastasis cancer cells turn off adhesion ability, de-adhere from their neighbors, invade and adhere to new host tissues, and form new colonies. If adhesion can be tuned, metastasis might be inhibited. The proposed cancer cell experiments will test the hypothesis quantitatively.Broader impact: The measurement assay system to be developed will allow rapid screening of putative anti-metastatic drugs that have the potential to restore adhesivity to metastatic cancer cells and thereby block metastasis. The research will be integrated with education through a student video project on nano technology and cancer.