Tuning Surface Functionalization Collagen Gel Thickness to Regulate Cancer Cell Migration

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2019-07-01
Authors
Veettil, Shalini R. Unnikandam
Bruggen, Shawn M. Van
Hwang, Doh-Gyu
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Bartlett, Michael
Assistant Professor
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Schneider, Ian
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Materials Science and Engineering
Materials engineers create new materials and improve existing materials. Everything is limited by the materials that are used to produce it. Materials engineers understand the relationship between the properties of a material and its internal structure — from the macro level down to the atomic level. The better the materials, the better the end result — it’s as simple as that.
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Genetics, Development and Cell Biology

The Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology seeks to teach subcellular and cellular processes, genome dynamics, cell structure and function, and molecular mechanisms of development, in so doing offering a Major in Biology and a Major in Genetics.

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The Department of Genetics, Development, and Cell Biology was founded in 2005.

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Chemical and Biological Engineering

The function of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering has been to prepare students for the study and application of chemistry in industry. This focus has included preparation for employment in various industries as well as the development, design, and operation of equipment and processes within industry.Through the CBE Department, Iowa State University is nationally recognized for its initiatives in bioinformatics, biomaterials, bioproducts, metabolic/tissue engineering, multiphase computational fluid dynamics, advanced polymeric materials and nanostructured materials.

History
The Department of Chemical Engineering was founded in 1913 under the Department of Physics and Illuminating Engineering. From 1915 to 1931 it was jointly administered by the Divisions of Industrial Science and Engineering, and from 1931 onward it has been under the Division/College of Engineering. In 1928 it merged with Mining Engineering, and from 1973–1979 it merged with Nuclear Engineering. It became Chemical and Biological Engineering in 2005.

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1913 - present

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  • Department of Chemical Engineering (1913–1928)
  • Department of Chemical and Mining Engineering (1928–1957)
  • Department of Chemical Engineering (1957–1973, 1979–2005)
    • Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering (2005–present)

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Materials Science and EngineeringGenetics, Development and Cell BiologyChemical and Biological Engineering
Abstract

Cancer cells have a tremendous ability to sense and respond to extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness, modulating invasion. The magnitude of the sensed stiffness can either promote or inhibit the migration of cancer cells out of the primary tumor into surrounding tissue. Work has been done on examining the role of stiffness in tuning cancer cell migration by controlling elastic modulus in the bulk. However, a powerful and complementary approach for controlling stiffness is to leverage interactions between stiff-soft (e.g. glass-hydrogel) interfaces. Unfortunately, most work in this area probes cells in 2D environments. Of the reports that probe 3D environments, none have assessed the role of mechanical linkage to the interface as a potential handle in controlling local stiffness and cell behavior. In this paper, we examine the migration of cancer cells embedded in a collagen fiber network between two flat plates. We examine the role of both surface attachment of the collagen network to the stiff interface as well as thickness (50-540 μm) of the collagen gel in driving collagen organization, cell morphology and cell migration. We find that surface attachment and thickness do not operate overlapping mechanisms, because they elicit different cell responses. While thickness and surface chemistry appear to control morphology, only thickness regulates collagen organization and cell migration speed. This suggests that surface attachment and thickness of the collagen gel control cell behavior through both collagen structure and local stiffness in confined fiber-forming networks.

Comments

This is a manuscript of an article published as Unnikandam Veettil, Shalini R., Shawn M. Van Bruggen, Doh-Gyu Hwang, Michael D. Bartlett, and Ian C. Schneider. "Tuning Surface Functionalization Collagen Gel Thickness to Regulate Cancer Cell Migration." Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces 179 (2019): 37-47. DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2019.03.031. Posted with permission.

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Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 UTC 2019
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