Dynamics of collective cell clusters play a critical role in numerous physiological and pathological processes such as wound healing, development, or cancer invasion. In most of epithelial tissues and skin, cells are surrounded by extracellular matrix (ECM) and by neighboring cells. Each cell in a collective cluster interacts actively with the surrounding ECM and neighboring cells to exhibit a unique cooperative nature, rather than merely a single migrating unit. In particular, the cooperativity within the collective cell cluster is regulated by the generation, reaction, transmission, and propagation capabilities of physical forces that occur between cell-matrix and cell-to-cell mechanical adhesions. Therefore, it is essential to study the physical forces that occur in the cell-surroundings mechanical coupling to understand the collective cell dynamics. In this study, we aimed to establish the simplistic 2D or 3D collective cell cluster in vitro, visualize the physical forces within the collective models, specify the mechanical characteristics of cell-ECM or cell-cell adhesions, and consequently understand the correlation between physical forces and collective cell dynamics.
Collective cellular migration plays a critical role in numerous pathophysiological processes such as wound healing, development, or cancer invasion. In most epithelial tissues, including skin, individual cells are in intimate contact with surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) or neighboring cells, interacting actively to exhibit a unique cooperative nature in their migration patterns. In particular, the cooperativity within the collective cell cluster is regulated by generation, reaction, transmission, and propagation of mechanical forces that occur at both cell-matrix and cell-to-cell adhesion junctions. Therefore, it would be essential to study the mechanical forces at these junctions to understand the dynamics of the collective cells. In this study, we aim to establish the simplistic 2D or 3D collective cell cluster in vitro and visualize the mechanical stresses within the collective models, ultimately to unravel the correlation between the underlying mechanical stresses at the interfaces of individual cells and the overall collective motions of the cells as a cluster.
인체 내 기관의 대부분은 세포 군집으로 존재하며, 이러한 군집의 조화로운 거동은 상처 치유, 발생, 암 전이 등 다양한 생리 및 병리학적 현상에서 중요한 역할을 한다. 군집 속 세포들은 세포 외 기질과 이웃 세포들에 의해 둘러싸여있다. 각각의 세포들은 단순히 독자적으로 움직이는 단위체가 아니라, 주변의 세포 외 기질 및 이웃 세포들과 유기적으로 상호작용하며 독특한 협동성을 보인다. 특히 이러한 군집 내 협동성은 세포-기질 및 세포-세포 간 기계적 결합 사이에서 발생하는 물리적 힘의 생성과 반응, 교환 및 전파 능력에 의해 조절된다. 따라서 세포 군집 운동의 이해에 있어서 세포-외부 간 기계적 결합에서 발생하는 물리적 힘의 변화 양상에 대한 연구가 필수적이다. 본 연구에서는, 2차원 및 3차원 세포 군집을 체외에서 모사하며, 세포-기질과 세포-세포 간 결합의 특성 파악하고 결합 내 물리적 힘을 가시화하여, 세포 군집 운동 내 물리적 힘의 역할을 규명하고자 하였다.