Cells Unite to "See" the Enemy: New Weapon in the Fight Against Cancer

This discovery sheds light on the mechanisms of tissue regeneration and the aggressive spread of cancer. Thus, researchers have made an important discovery in cell biology: epithelial cells can collectively "see" and sense the stiffness of the surrounding environment at a depth of over 100 micrometers — ten times farther than previously assumed. But only when working together.

In the experiment, cells were grown on a two-layer gel, where a single cell reacted only to the stiffness of the layer at a depth of about 10 micrometers. However, a group of cells, through joint efforts, deformed the tissue and thus "sensed" much deeper layers, over 100 micrometers.

This mechanism of collective perception plays a key role in two vital processes: tissue regeneration and the spread of cancer cells. Normally, cells use it to coordinate wound healing, gathering into dense clusters on stiff surfaces and dispersing on soft ones. Cancer cells, however, apply the same principle to penetrate healthy tissues and form metastases, but do so less organized and more aggressively.

Previously, it was believed that cells could perceive the mechanical properties of the environment only at very close range, which limited understanding of their behavior. The new discovery significantly expands these boundaries and opens prospects for developing new methods to fight cancer and improve regenerative medicine. Read more in the article "Cells' Collective 'Vision' May Explain How Cancer Spreads."