Investigating changes in tumor viscoelasticity during breast cancer progression

Project Description

Tumors in breast, colorectal, gastric, pancreatic, and liver cancers are mechanically distinct from healthy tissue. In the breast, normal tissue exhibits low stiffness (~100–200 Pa), while malignant tumors are significantly stiffer (~1,000–4,000 Pa). Cells exposed to stiffer environments show increased invasiveness, migration, and proliferation. Beyond stiffness, tumors are also viscoelastic—displaying both elastic and fluid-like behavior. Emerging research shows that cells respond not only to stiffness but also to matrix viscoelasticity. However, how viscoelasticity changes between healthy and malignant breast tissue, or across tumor stages, remains poorly defined. In this study, we will use microindentation to quantify changes in tissue viscoelasticity during breast cancer progression in mice. Demonstrating these direct changes in tissue viscoelasticity will uncover a previously underexplored mechanism of malignancy, potentially opening new avenues for therapeutic intervention.

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