Dynamics along the epithelial-cancer biointerface: Hidden system complexities

Abstract

The biointerface dynamics influence any cancer spreading through the epithelium since it is documented in the early stages some malignancies (like epithelial cancer). The altered rearrangement of epithelial cells has an impact on the development of cancer. Therefore, it is necessary to comprehend the underlying biological and physical mechanisms of this biointerface dynamics for early suppression of cancer. While the biological mechanisms include cell signaling and gene expression, the physical mechanisms are several physical parameters such as the epithelial-cancer interfacial tension, epithelial surface tension, and compressive stress accumulated within the epithelium. Although the segregation of epithelia-cancer co-cultured systems was widely investigated, the role of these physical parameters in cell reorganization is still not fully recognized. Hence, this review is focused on clarifying the role that some physical parameters have during cell reorganization within the epithelial cell clusters and cancer spread within co-cultured spheroids. We have applied the developed biophysical model to point out the inter-relations among physical parameters that influence cell reorganization within epithelial-cancer co-cultured systems. The main results of this theoretical consideration have been assessed by integrating the biophysical model with biological and bio-mechanical experiments from the available literature. The epithelial-cancer interfacial tension leads to the reduction of the biointerface area, which leads to an increase in the compressive residual stress within the epithelial clusters depending on the viscoelasticity of the epithelial subpopulation. This stress impacts epithelial rearrangement and the dynamics along the biointerface by influencing the epithelial surface tension and epithelial-cancer interfacial tension. Further, the interrelation between the epithelial surface tension and epithelial-cancer interfacial tension influences the spread of cancer cells.