title: An on-chip model for investigating the interaction between neurons and cancer cells.
abstract: Emerging evidence suggests that there is extensive interaction between neurons and cancer cells. However, few model systems have been developed to investigate nerve-cancer cell interaction in vitro. Herein, a high-throughput microfluidic compartmentalized chip is developed to examine the interaction between neurons and cancer cells. The nerve bundles appear to provide a biophysical support for cancer cells and guide their directional migration. The cancers that have high levels of perineural invasion in clinical observations exhibit greater migration along neurites in the on-chip model. The on-chip model allows the screening of compounds which inhibit cancer cell migration along neurites in vitro. The interruption of neurites, the pharmacological blockade of nerve-cancer signaling, effectively attenuates the migration of cancer cells along neurites. This on-chip model provides a useful platform to investigate the dynamic interaction between cancer cells and neurons and can dramatically broaden the chemical space in screening neuron-related drugs for cancers.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Engineering Research Center for BioNanotechnology, CAS Key Laboratory for Biological Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for NanoScience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China. xingyujiang@nanoctr.cn zhengwf@nanoctr.cn.
authors.forename: Yifeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.affiliation: Beijing Engineering Research Center for BioNanotechnology, CAS Key Laboratory for Biological Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for NanoScience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China. xingyujiang@nanoctr.cn zhengwf@nanoctr.cn.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Beijing Engineering Research Center for BioNanotechnology, CAS Key Laboratory for Biological Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for NanoScience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China. xingyujiang@nanoctr.cn zhengwf@nanoctr.cn.
authors.forename: Nuoxin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Beijing Engineering Research Center for BioNanotechnology, CAS Key Laboratory for Biological Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for NanoScience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China. xingyujiang@nanoctr.cn zhengwf@nanoctr.cn.
authors.forename: Xinglong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nano-Medical Science, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoh
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.affiliation: Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
authors.forename: Qizhai
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Beijing Engineering Research Center for BioNanotechnology, CAS Key Laboratory for Biological Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for NanoScience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China. xingyujiang@nanoctr.cn zhengwf@nanoctr.cn.
authors.forename: Wenfu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Beijing Engineering Research Center for BioNanotechnology, CAS Key Laboratory for Biological Effects of Nanomaterials and Nanosafety, National Center for NanoScience and Technology, Beijing 100190, China. xingyujiang@nanoctr.cn zhengwf@nanoctr.cn.
authors.forename: Xingyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jiang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D055592:Biophysical Phenomena; D002450:Cell Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002465:Cell Movement; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D056656:Lab-On-A-Chip Devices; D061986:MCF-7 Cells; D008297:Male; D055616:Microtechnology; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016501:Neurites / Q000502:physiology; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D015398:Signal Transduction