Tumor-Causing Cancer Cells Are ‘Squishier,’ Scientists Say

Scientists at The Methodist Hospital in Houston have developed a new tool that separates tumor-causing cancer cells from more benign cells by subjecting the cells to a microscopic game of Plinko — but only the squishiest cells make it through. Study results, which appear in an early online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, reveal that the more flexible, tumor-causing cells navigated a gamut of tiny barriers, whereas the more rigid, more benign cells had trouble squeezing through 7-micrometer holes. Methodist scientists worked with University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center researchers to test the device with different kinds of cancer cells.

The work supports the hypothesis that cell squishiness indicates tumor potential. Most normal cells contain a developed cytoskeleton — a network of tiny but strong rod-shaped proteins that give cells their shape and structure. In their drive to divide, cancer cells may be diverting resources away from developing a cytoskeleton in favor of division, resulting in squishiness. For more information, click here to read the full release.