As cancer and tumor cells move inside the human body, they impart and are subject to mechanical forces. In order to understand how these actions affect cancer cell growth, spread, and invasion, a team of engineers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is developing new models that mimic aspects of the mechanical environment within the body, providing new insight into how and why tumors develop in certain ways.
TROY, N.Y. — There is a growing appreciation within the research community for the ways in which the biomechanics of the tumor environment may contribute to how its cells grow and even spread throughout the body. The closer researchers can get to re-creating those mechanical factors in the lab, the better they will understand tumor cell migration and how to stop cells before they invade other tissue.
TROY, N.Y. — At the cellular level, cancer can be viewed as a mechanical engineering challenge. The disease alters the structure and function of cells and tissues, which are meant to perform very specific tasks. Through better understanding of the mechanical processes at work in tumors, Kristen Mills, an assistant professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, hopes to support the development of more effective treatments.