Switchable adhesive substrates: Revealing geometry dependence in collective cell behavior ☆

摘要: Collective cell migration plays a major role in cancer metastasis and wound healing, therefore, several in vitro assays for studying such behavior have been developed. Using photoswitchable surfaces, we studied collective expansion from initially precisely controlled adhesive patterns. A non-adhesive poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) layer is conjugated to glass coverslip via 2-nitrobenzyl groups, which cleave upon exposure UV light, changing the surface non-cell-adhesive cell-adhesive without mechanical interference. Initial attaching areas are generated arbitrary shapes projection through photomask. After growth phase, epithelial sheets released their confinement by second illumination allowing expansion. Our experiments with cells show that cluster size boundary curvature modulate of sheet formation leader cells. At certain size, characteristics change core hardly affected release. With donut-like ring structures, demonstrate break symmetry between along outer convex inner concave boundary. Additionally, observe modulated initial incubation time sheet.