Issue 17, 2012

Wetting transitions of cellular aggregates induced by substrate rigidity

Abstract

The inhibition of tissue spreading is of great interest for medical applications, including the prevention of tumor mass dispersal to avoid cancer propagation. While chemical approaches have previously been reported to control tissue spreading, here we investigate a physical mechanism to inhibit spreading. We study the effect of substrate rigidity on the statics and dynamics of spreading of spheroidal aggregates of cells deposited on fibronectin-coated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) and polyacrylamide (PAA) substrates by tuning the elastic modulus E from 0.2 kPa to 1.8 MPa while maintaining a constant chemical environment. On rigid substrates, above a threshold elastic modulus Ec ≈ 8 kPa, the aggregate spreads with a cellular monolayer expanding around the aggregate (“complete wetting”). The kinetics of spreading obeys a diffusive law with a diffusion coefficient D(E) presenting a maximum that we interpret theoretically. At E = Ec, we observe a wetting transition, and on soft substrates (E < Ec), the aggregate no longer spreads. Instead, it flattens and adopts an equilibrium shape of a spherical cap with a finite contact angle (“partial wetting”). These results provide insight into the relevant physical principles underlying cellular aggregate spreading, a phenomenon of interest in the understanding of tumor spreading and invasion.

Graphical abstract: Wetting transitions of cellular aggregates induced by substrate rigidity

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
19 Dec 2011
Accepted
15 Feb 2012
First published
08 Mar 2012

Soft Matter, 2012,8, 4578-4583

Wetting transitions of cellular aggregates induced by substrate rigidity

S. Douezan, J. Dumond and F. Brochard-Wyart, Soft Matter, 2012, 8, 4578 DOI: 10.1039/C2SM07418D

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