Cancer microenvironment is critical for tumorigenesis and cancer progression. The
extracellular matrix (ECM) interacts with tumor and stromal cells to promote cancer cells …

Physical stimuli are essential for the function of eukaryotic cells, and changes in physical
signals are important elements in normal tissue development as well as in disease initiation …

Optical tweezers are tools made of light that enable contactless pushing, trapping, and
manipulation of objects, ranging from atoms to space light sails. Since the pioneering work …

Focal adhesion kinase (FAK), a non-receptor tyrosine kinase, is overexpressed and
activated in many cancer types. FAK regulates diverse cellular processes, including growth …

The most dangerous aspect of cancer lies in metastatic progression. Tumor cells will
successfully form life-threatening metastases when they undergo sequential steps along a …

Background Tumor progression is accompanied by dramatic remodeling of the surrounding
extracellular matrix leading to the formation of a tumor-specific ECM, which is often more …

Directional cell migration normally relies on a variety of external signals, such as chemical,
mechanical, or electrical, which instruct cells in which direction to move. Many of the major …

Metastasis causes most cancer-related deaths; however, the efficacy of anti-metastatic drugs
is limited by incomplete understanding of the biological mechanisms that drive metastasis …

The basement membrane (BM) is a special type of extracellular matrix and presents the
major barrier cancer cells have to overcome multiple times to form metastases. Here we …

The past decade has witnessed a rapid growth in understanding of the pivotal roles of
mechanical stresses and physical forces in cell biology. As a result, an integrated view of …