Deformation mechanics may be key in cancer fight: Research

The genetic material governing a cell's function and behavior, called the genome, is safely stored in the nucleus. Nearly 150 years of looking through microscopes has taught pathologists and researchers that misshapen nuclei are warning signs of diseases like cancer.

A team has uncovered surprising mechanical behaviors of the nucleus. For years, the nucleus within a cell was thought to be elastic like a rubber ball, deforming and snapping back into shape as the cell navigated through pores and between fibers inside the human body. Researchers have now discovered that the nucleus is more complex than originally believed, behaving more like a liquid drop than a rubber ball.

Deformation mechanics may be key in cancer fight: Research(Shutterstock)

"The discovery that the nucleus deforms like a liquid drop calls for a fresh look at how the nuclear shape becomes abnormal in diseases like cancer," said Dr. Tanmay Lele, Unocal Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering.

Lele, a Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) Scholar, is co-leading the team that uncovered the surprising mechanical behaviors of the nucleus. Their findings were published in Advanced Science in June 2022.

The genetic material governing a cell's function and behavior, called the genome, is safely stored in the nucleus. Nearly 150 years of looking through microscopes has taught pathologists and researchers that misshapen nuclei are warning signs of diseases like cancer. Cancer cells with such abnormal nuclei are able to migrate to other parts of the body in a process called cancer metastasis, a spreading that can be lethal.

Imaging revealed that the pillars created deep indentations into the nuclear surface. Yet the overall nuclear shape was preserved, allowing the nucleus to successfully pass like a liquid drop, and unlike a springy elastic rubber ball, through the obstacles.

The research also revealed that a depletion of lamin A/C, one of the normal protein components of lamina, caused the nuclei to get entangled in the obstacles. The discovery suggests that lamin A/C helps maintain the surface tension of the "nuclear drop."

"Our work points to a fundamental mechanism by which the nucleus preserves its shape and protects its genome," Lele said. "Our discovery also helps us better understand how misshapen nuclei arise in cancer and how to potentially make them normal again. We are now studying the implications of the drop model for the abnormal nuclear shapes commonly observed in cancer."

This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.