Invited Talk

Impact of cell adhesion during unjamming transition

Max-Planck-Institut für medizinische Forschung, Jahnstraße 29, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany

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The unjamming transition, a process in which a disordered system transitions from a jammed, solid-like state to a flowing, fluid-like state, is a key phenomenon in biological systems. Here, we investigate the influence of cell-matrix adhesion on the unjamming transition in cancer cell collectives. Building on our previous work on the spatial regulation of receptor clustering and matrix adhesion, we employ surface microfabrication and nanopatterning techniques to modulate matrix ligand presentation and, in turn, the adhesion strength to the extracellular matrix (ECM). We applied these manipulations to study the wetting dynamics of malignant spheroids that model the transition of a human breast ductal carcinoma in situ to an invasive carcinoma. This process is the results of a tug of war between cell cohesion and cell-matrix forces.

Through live-cell imaging and traction force microscopy, we track the behavior of cancer cells within a mechanically perturbed system. By experimentally manipulating the adhesion strength, we quantitatively assess its effect on the unjamming process. Our results reveal that altering cell-matrix adhesion significantly impacts the mechanical response of cancer cells during unjamming. Specifically, reducing cell-matrix adhesion weakens the overall cohesive forces within the system, leading to a more fluid-like and gas-like behavior and increased cellular motility.

Our findings contribute to our understanding of cellular behavior in dynamic systems and have implications for various biological processes, including tissue development, wound healing, and cancer metastasis.