Determining the Effects of CD151 and β₁ on Tumor Cell Adhesion and Migration

• Main Author: Essex, Rachel R.
• Format: Others
• Published: UKnowledge 2015
• Subjects: metastasis; microfluidics; tumor cell adhesion; transwell assay; MDA-MB-231 metastatic breast cancer cells; HUVEC endothelial cells; Chemical Engineering
• Online Access: http://uknowledge.uky.edu/cme_etds/56; http://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1055&context=cme_etds

Previous studies have shown that the upregulation of CD151 and β1 is associated with poor prognosis in many cancers such as breast cancer. Studies have provided evidence that these proteins are associated with the adhesion and migration of tumor cells. In this study, a microfluidic flow chamber was utilized to determine how CD151 and β1 affected the firm and initial adhesion of metastatic breast cancer cells to a planar endothelial monolayer under shear stress. This system mimicked the adhesion of metastatic breast cancer cells to the endothelial cells of the circulatory system. CD151 and β1 increased the firm adhesion of metastatic breast cancer cells onto an endothelial monolayer when subjected to high shear stresses. CD151 and β1 increased the initial adhesion of metastatic breast cancer cells onto an endothelial monolayer. A transwell assay was utilized to determine how CD151 and β1 affected random migration through different matrixes and random transendothelial migration. CD151 and β1 decreased the random migration of metastatic breast cancer cells through matrices. Additionally, background information is provided related to the metastatic cascade, how it can be modeled with microfluidics, and how CD151 and β1 have been known to effect cancer and metastasis.