The Role of Fluid Shear and Metastatic Potential in Breast Cancer Cell Migration

Brandon D Riehl; Eunju Kim; Jeong Soon Lee; Bin Duan; Ruiguo Yang; Henry J Donahue; Jung Yul Lim

doi:10.1115/1.4047076

The Role of Fluid Shear and Metastatic Potential in Breast Cancer Cell Migration

J Biomech Eng. 2020 Oct 1;142(10):101001. doi: 10.1115/1.4047076.

Authors

Brandon D Riehl¹, Eunju Kim¹, Jeong Soon Lee¹, Bin Duan², Ruiguo Yang³, Henry J Donahue⁴, Jung Yul Lim⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588.
² Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588; Mary and Dick Holland Regenerative Medicine Program, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198; Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198.
³ Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588; Mary and Dick Holland Regenerative Medicine Program, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198.
⁴ Department of Biomedical Engineering, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284.
⁵ Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, W317.3 Nebraska Hall Lincoln, NE 68588; Mary and Dick Holland Regenerative Medicine Program, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198.

Abstract

During the migration of cancer cells for metastasis, cancer cells can be exposed to fluid shear conditions. We examined two breast cancer cell lines, MDA-MB-468 (less metastatic) and MDA-MB-231 (more metastatic), and a benign MCF-10A epithelial cell line for their responsiveness in migration to fluid shear. We tested fluid shear at 15 dyne/cm2 that can be encountered during breast cancer cells traveling through blood vessels or metastasizing to mechanically active tissues such as bone. MCF-10A exhibited the least migration with a trend of migrating in the flow direction. Intriguingly, fluid shear played a potent role as a trigger for MDA-MB-231 cell migration, inducing directional migration along the flow with significantly increased displacement length and migration speed and decreased arrest coefficient relative to unflowed MDA-MB-231. In contrast, MDA-MB-468 cells were markedly less migratory than MDA-MB-231 cells, and responded very poorly to fluid shear. As a result, MDA-MB-468 cells did not exhibit noticeable difference in migration between static and flow conditions, as was distinct in root-mean-square (RMS) displacement-an ensemble average of all participating cells. These may suggest that the difference between more metastatic MDA-MB-231 and less metastatic MDA-MB-468 breast cancer cells could be at least partly involved with their differential responsiveness to fluid shear stimulatory cues. Our study provides new data in regard to potential crosstalk between fluid shear and metastatic potential in mediating breast cancer cell migration.

Keywords: breast cancer; cell migration; fluid shear; metastatic potential.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

Breast Neoplasms*
Cell Movement
Humans
MCF-7 Cells

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding