Fig. 7
From: The epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the cytoskeleton in bioengineered systems
Collective invasion and EMT in 3D matrix. a Multicellular clusters of mammary epithelial cells (MCF-10A) cultured in a alginate-Matrigel mixture first form spherical acini over 5 days, but subsequently disorganize and disseminate over 10 days. Remarkably, nuclear and cellular volume increase at the periphery, corresponding to softer intracellular stiffness (right). Reproduced from [142]. b Multicellular clusters also exert spatially non-uniform patterns of protrusive and contractile tractions for epithelial, transitory (EMT), and mesenchymal states induced via Snail. Reproduced from [143]. c Multicellular clusters respond to dynamically stiffened substrates via dissemination and EMT activation via Twist, TGF-β, and YAP signaling. Reproduced from [144]