CHED 978 |
| We study the invasiveness and motility of glioblastoma multiforme in three dimensional (3D) collagen type I matrices of high concentration using both single cell and glioma spheroid in vitro assays. After stably transfecting rat C6 glioma cells with plasmids expressing pEGFP-actin, we show the effects of incubating these cells in such collagen networks via fluorescent microscopy and confocal reflectance microscopy. Initial results show that at higher concentrations, from 5 to 10 mg/ml collagen, glioma cell invasiveness is reduced along with the extent of matrix reorganization. To further analyze this aspect of glioma behavior in thick collagen matrices, we use several drugs to investigate the signaling molecules involved in this phenomenon. Initial results from inhibitor assays combined with statistical analyses of glioma migration in collagen gels that vary in collagen concentration, pore size, and stiffness suggest that saltatory migration of glioma cells in vitro may be dependent on myosin-II function. |
|
Undergraduate Research Poster Session: Physical Chemistry
2:00 PM-4:00 PM, Monday, April 7, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Hall A, Poster
Division of Chemical Education |