Direct current electrical fields inhibit cancer cell motility in microchannel confinements
Abstract The capability of cells to sense and respond to endogenous electrical fields plays a crucial role in processes like nerve regeneration, wound healing, and development. In vitro, many cell types respond to electrical fields by migrating along the corresponding electrical field vectors. This...
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Nature Portfolio
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87737-7 |
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| author | Benjamin Karem Naggay Saeed Khomeijani Farahani Xu Gao Andrew Holle Ralf Kemkemer |
| author_facet | Benjamin Karem Naggay Saeed Khomeijani Farahani Xu Gao Andrew Holle Ralf Kemkemer |
| author_sort | Benjamin Karem Naggay |
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| description | Abstract The capability of cells to sense and respond to endogenous electrical fields plays a crucial role in processes like nerve regeneration, wound healing, and development. In vitro, many cell types respond to electrical fields by migrating along the corresponding electrical field vectors. This process is known as galvano- or electrotaxis. Here we report on the combined impact of micro-confinements and direct current electrical fields (dcEFs) on the motility of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells using a self-developed, easy-to-use platform with microchannels ranging from 3 $$\upmu$$ μ m to 11 $$\upmu$$ μ m in width and 11 $$\upmu$$ μ m height. We found that MDA-MB-231 cells respond to exogenous electrical fields ranging from 100 mV mm $$^{-1}$$ - 1 to 1000 mV mm $$^{-1}$$ - 1 with altered cell motility depending on the confinement size. Our data show an overall inhibited galvanotaxis in confinements, while in contrast an enhancing effect in unconfined galvanotaxis is found. The application of direct current electrical fields to microchannels not only caused a reduction in migration speed but also decreased the number of permeating cells. By applying 1000 mV mm $$^{-1}$$ - 1 , single-cell permeation could be prevented in confinements of 5 $$\upmu$$ μ m and smaller. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3704ada68db44e09a656985394daba4b |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
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| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj-art-3704ada68db44e09a656985394daba4b2025-02-09T12:29:25ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-02-0115111310.1038/s41598-025-87737-7Direct current electrical fields inhibit cancer cell motility in microchannel confinementsBenjamin Karem Naggay0Saeed Khomeijani Farahani1Xu Gao2Andrew Holle3Ralf Kemkemer4Department of Life Sciences, Reutlingen UniversityCharité Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin BerlinDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, National University of SingaporeDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, National University of SingaporeDepartment of Life Sciences, Reutlingen UniversityAbstract The capability of cells to sense and respond to endogenous electrical fields plays a crucial role in processes like nerve regeneration, wound healing, and development. In vitro, many cell types respond to electrical fields by migrating along the corresponding electrical field vectors. This process is known as galvano- or electrotaxis. Here we report on the combined impact of micro-confinements and direct current electrical fields (dcEFs) on the motility of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells using a self-developed, easy-to-use platform with microchannels ranging from 3 $$\upmu$$ μ m to 11 $$\upmu$$ μ m in width and 11 $$\upmu$$ μ m height. We found that MDA-MB-231 cells respond to exogenous electrical fields ranging from 100 mV mm $$^{-1}$$ - 1 to 1000 mV mm $$^{-1}$$ - 1 with altered cell motility depending on the confinement size. Our data show an overall inhibited galvanotaxis in confinements, while in contrast an enhancing effect in unconfined galvanotaxis is found. The application of direct current electrical fields to microchannels not only caused a reduction in migration speed but also decreased the number of permeating cells. By applying 1000 mV mm $$^{-1}$$ - 1 , single-cell permeation could be prevented in confinements of 5 $$\upmu$$ μ m and smaller.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87737-7 |
| spellingShingle | Benjamin Karem Naggay Saeed Khomeijani Farahani Xu Gao Andrew Holle Ralf Kemkemer Direct current electrical fields inhibit cancer cell motility in microchannel confinements Scientific Reports |
| title | Direct current electrical fields inhibit cancer cell motility in microchannel confinements |
| title_full | Direct current electrical fields inhibit cancer cell motility in microchannel confinements |
| title_fullStr | Direct current electrical fields inhibit cancer cell motility in microchannel confinements |
| title_full_unstemmed | Direct current electrical fields inhibit cancer cell motility in microchannel confinements |
| title_short | Direct current electrical fields inhibit cancer cell motility in microchannel confinements |
| title_sort | direct current electrical fields inhibit cancer cell motility in microchannel confinements |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-87737-7 |
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