Control cell migration by engineering integrin ligand assembly

August 30, 2022

Title

Control cell migration by engineering integrin ligand assembly

Author

Xunwu Hu, Sona Rani Roy, Chengzhi Jin, Guanying Li, Qizheng Zhang, Natsuko Asano, Shunsuke Asahina, Tomoko Kajiwara, Atsushi Takahara, Bolu Feng, Kazuhiro Aoki, Chenjie Xu & Ye Zhang

Year

2022

Journal

Nature Communications

Abstract

Advances in mechanistic understanding of integrin-mediated adhesion highlight the importance of precise control of ligand presentation in directing cell migration. Top-down nanopatterning limited the spatial presentation to sub-micron placing restrictions on both fundamental study and biomedical applications. To break the constraint, here we propose a bottom-up nanofabrication strategy to enhance the spatial resolution to the molecular level using simple formulation that is applicable as treatment agent. Via self-assembly and co-assembly, precise control of ligand presentation is succeeded by varying the proportions of assembling ligand and nonfunctional peptide. Assembled nanofilaments fulfill multi-functions exerting enhancement to suppression effect on cell migration with tunable amplitudes. Self-assembled nanofilaments possessing by far the highest ligand density prevent integrin/actin disassembly at cell rear, which expands the perspective of ligand-density-dependent-modulation, revealing valuable inputs to therapeutic innovations in tumor metastasis.

Instrument

J-820

Keywords

ligand, therapeutic, nanoflament,