A nanomechanical approach to understanding metastasis through cell adhesion measurement

摘要/ Abstract摘要：0725831)该研究的目的是测量各种癌细胞（转移能力不同）与纳米图案基质之间的粘附强度。细胞将处于单层融合的不同阶段（稀疏、融合和过度融合）以及不同时间（1-5天）的悬浮后。方法是，我们将开发一种纳米图案细胞粘附基板和一种3D力传感器。图案化的底物将与细胞粘附分子纤维连接蛋白提供规定的粘附面积。带有功能化探头的3D力传感器将测量将细胞从已知粘附区域分离的力。智力优势：癌症相关的死亡大多是由恶性细胞转移引起的，而不是由肿瘤本身引起的。一个众所周知的假设是，在转移过程中，癌细胞关闭粘附能力，与邻近细胞脱离粘附，侵入并粘附到新的宿主组织，形成新的菌落。如果粘连可以调节，转移可能会被抑制。提出的癌细胞实验将定量地检验这一假设。更广泛的影响：即将开发的测量分析系统将允许快速筛选假定的抗转移药物，这些药物有可能恢复转移癌细胞的粘附性，从而阻止转移。这项研究将通过一个关于纳米技术和癌症的学生视频项目与教育相结合。

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.