Cell migration and invasion is a key driving factor for providing essential cellular functions
under physiological conditions or the malignant progression of tumors following
downward the metastatic cascade. Although there has been plentiful of molecules
identified to support the migration and invasion of cells, the mechanical aspects have
not yet been explored in a combined and systematic manner. In addition, the cellular
environment has been classically and frequently assumed to be homogeneous for
reasons of simplicity. However, motility assays have led to various models for migration
covering only some aspects and supporting factors that in some cases also include
mechanical factors. Instead of specific models, in this review, a more or less holistic
model for cell motility in 3D is envisioned covering all these different aspects with
a special emphasis on the mechanical cues from a biophysical perspective. After
introducing the mechanical aspects of cell migration and invasion and presenting
the heterogeneity of extracellular matrices, the three distinct directions of cell motility
focusing on the mechanical aspects are presented. These three different directions are
as follows: firstly, the commonly used invasion tests using structural and structure-based
mechanical environmental signals; secondly, the mechano-invasion assay, in which cells
are studied by mechanical forces to migrate and invade; and thirdly, cell mechanics,
including cytoskeletal and nuclear mechanics, to influence cell migration and invasion.
Since the interaction between the cell and the microenvironment is bi-directional in these
assays, these should be accounted in migration and invasion approaches focusing
on the mechanical aspects. Beyond this, there is also the interaction between the
cytoskeleton of the cell and its other compartments, such as the cell nucleus. In
specific, a three-element approach is presented for addressing the effect of mechanics
on cell migration and invasion by including the effect of the mechano-phenotype of the
cytoskeleton, nucleus and the cell’s microenvironment into the analysis. In precise terms,
the combination of these three research approaches including experimental techniques
seems to be promising for revealing bi-directional impacts of mechanical alterations of
the cellular microenvironment on cells and internal mechanical fluctuations or changes
of cells on the surroundings. Finally, different approaches are discussed and thereby a
model for the broad impact of mechanics on cell migration and invasion is evolved.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DRESDEN/oai:qucosa:de:qucosa:84505 |
| Date | 03 April 2023 |
| Creators | Mierke, Claudia Tanja |
| Publisher | Frontiers Research Foundation |
| Source Sets | Hochschulschriftenserver (HSSS) der SLUB Dresden |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion, doc-type:article, info:eu-repo/semantics/article, doc-type:Text |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess |
| Relation | 2296-634X, 583226 |
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