The Mechanics of Prostate Cancer Progression: Toward Characterizing Metastatic Potential as a Function of Cell Contractility

Cancers cells change their mechanical properties to migrate through crowded multicellular environments. Metastatic cells’ traction forces have been shown increase substantially relative those of non-metastatic cells, and this contractility is further increased by matrix stiffening, promoting tumor phenotypes. These findings suggest a relationship between cell contractility, microenvironment stiffness, metastatic potential. Prostate cancer (PC) common health hazard for men, we anticipate that key changes like local stiffening the underlie its progression. In study, our objective was study PC as function stiffness We apply Traction Force Microscopy (TFM) both single assemblies quantify in response on cultured soft polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) substrates with stiffnesses bounding physiological range (3 kPa 50 kPa). lines variable potential (low, LNCaP; medium, DU145; high, PC3; healthy control, HPrEC) were used model progression severity. find exert higher stress substrates, but differences increasing are less apparent low substrates. Furthermore, lowly line (LNCaP) not contractile at level due poor cell-substrate adhesion. To rectify this, applied TFM finding attachment, spreading, substrate deformations could be consistently observed. format, highly prostate (PC3) clearly exhibit stresses than LNCaP. show robust method comparing mechanics inaccessible single-cell TFM.