The relationship between cancer and biomechanics

Abstract

The onset, development, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer involve intricate interactions among various factors, spanning the realms of mechanics, physics, chemistry, and biology. Within our bodies, cells are subject to a variety of forces such as gravity, magnetism, tension, compression, shear stress, and biological static force/hydrostatic pressure. These forces are perceived by mechanoreceptors as mechanical signals, which are then transmitted to cells through a process known as mechanical transduction. During tumor development, invasion and metastasis, there are significant biomechanical influences on various aspects such as tumor angiogenesis, interactions between tumor cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM), interactions between tumor cells and other cells, and interactions between tumor cells and the circulatory system and vasculature. The tumor microenvironment comprises a complex interplay of cells, ECM and vasculature, with the ECM, comprising collagen, fibronectins, integrins, laminins and matrix metalloproteinases, acting as a critical mediator of mechanical properties and a key component within the mechanical signaling pathway. The vasculature exerts appropriate shear forces on tumor cells, enabling their escape from immune surveillance, facilitating their dissemination in the bloodstream, dictating the trajectory of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and playing a pivotal role in regulating adhesion to the vessel wall. Tumor biomechanics plays a critical role in tumor progression and metastasis, as alterations in biomechanical properties throughout the malignant transformation process trigger a cascade of changes in cellular behavior and the tumor microenvironment, ultimately culminating in the malignant biological behavior of the tumor.

Keywords: biomechanics; cancer; invasion; metastasis; tumor microenvironment.

Figure 1

Diotransmission pathway between tumor cells and extracellular matrix. Collagen in the extracellular matrix is hydrolyzed by MMPs, which alters the biomechanical properties of the extracellular matrix. The biological forces in the ECM are transmitted to the cytoskeleton through mechanical conducting elements on the cell membrane, and then transmitted to the nucleus to cause heterogeneity of gene expression.

Figure 2

Tumor cells metastasize and colonize through the vasculature. The primary tumor tissue invades the basement membrane and penetrates the extracellular matrix into the vasculature. With blood flow and under the action of fluid shear stress, secondary lesions are formed in the appropriate remote location.

Figure 3

Changes in tumor stromal cells during metastasis and invasion of tumor cells. The metastatic tumor cells are accompanied by fragments of tumor stromal cells that enter the circulating blood, which increases the viability of the tumor cells and provides a favorable environment for their implantation and initial growth.