Cancers, Vol. 11, Pages 716: On the Impact of Chemo-Mechanically Induced Phenotypic Transitions in Gliomas

Cancers, Vol. 11, Pages 716: On the Impact of Chemo-Mechanically Induced Phenotypic Transitions in Gliomas Cancers doi: 10.3390/cancers11050716 Authors: Pietro Mascheroni Juan Carlos López Alfonso Maria Kalli Triantafyllos Stylianopoulos Michael Meyer-Hermann Haralampos Hatzikirou Tumor microenvironment is a critical player in glioma progression, and novel therapies for its targeting have been recently proposed. In particular, stress-alleviation strategies act on the tumor by reducing its stiffness, decreasing solid stresses and improving blood perfusion. However, these microenvironmental changes trigger chemo–mechanically induced cellular phenotypic transitions whose impact on therapy outcomes is not completely understood. In this work we analyze the effects of mechanical compression on migration and proliferation of glioma cells. We derive a mathematical model of glioma progression focusing on cellular phenotypic plasticity. Our results reveal a trade-off between tumor infiltration and cellular content as a consequence of stress-alleviation approaches. We discuss how these novel findings increase the current understanding of glioma/microenvironment interactions and can contribute to new strategies for improved therapeutic outcomes.
Source: Cancers - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Article Source Type: research