Andreas Schwab

Zeitraum: 2017 Master Student

Betreuer: Dr. Aldo Leal-Egana, Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Aldo R. Boccaccini

Thema:

Study of cell adhesion and migration of neoplastic cells on soft micropatterned surfaces

In cancer disease, cell metastasis depends on the existence of specific geometric and mechanical cues, inducing cells to polarize and to acquire a pathogenic phenotype [1]. During this research project, the activity of neoplastic cells adhered to soft patterned polyacrylamide gels [2] having defined topological and mechanical features will be investigated. Assays will be done at single-cell scale and will be focused on cell adhesion and migration. The final aim of the investigation is the generation of a novel and miniaturized Cancer-on-a-Chip, with the purpose to study cell sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents.

[1] A.D. Doyle, F.W. Wang, K. Matsumoto, K.M. Yamada, One-dimensional topography underlies three-dimensional fibrillar cell migration, The Journal of cell biology 184 (4) (2009) 481–490.

[2] T. Vignaud, H. Ennomani, M. Thery, Polyacrylamide hydrogel micropatterning, Methods in cell biology 120 (2014) 93–116.