title: Asymmetric cancer-cell filopodium growth induced by electric-fields in a microfluidic culture chip.
abstract: We combine a micro-fluidic electric-field cell-culture (MEC) chip with structured-illumination nano-profilometry (SINAP) to quantitatively study the variations of cancer cell filopodia under external direct-current electric field (dcEF) stimulations. Because the lateral resolution of SINAP is better than 150 nm in bright-field image modality, filopodia with diameters smaller than 200 nm can be observed clearly without fluorescent labeling. In the MEC chip, a homogeneous EF is generated inside the culture area that simulates the endogenous EF environment. With this MEC chip-SINAP system, we directly observe and quantify the biased growth of filopodia of lung cancer cells toward the cathode. The epidermal growth factor receptors around the cell edges are also redistributed to the cathodal side. These results suggest that cancer-cell filopodia respond to the changes in EFs in the microenvironment.
authors.affiliation: Research Center for Applied Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chun-Chieh
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yu-Chiu
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Kao
authors.forename: Pei-Yin
authors.initials: PY
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Ching-Wen
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Jiunn-Yuan
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chia-Fu
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Ji-Yen
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.forename: Chau-Hwang
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D006801:Humans; D046210:Microfluidic Analytical Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D011554:Pseudopodia / Q000528:radiation effects*