Effect of Various Extracellular Matrix (ECM) Proteins on Breast Cancer Cell Behaviors

Communication between cancer cells and their microenvironment plays a crucial role in determining the fate of the cells. This communication involves signaling and interactions with the extracellular matrix (ECM), which impacts processes such as adhesion, invasion, and proliferation. While previous studies have focused on the effects of soluble factors on cancer cell behavior, the influence of ECM-specific effects has been largely overlooked. As such, we evaluated how different ECM proteins affect the behavior of MDAMB231 breast cancer cells, specifically in terms of cell phenotypes such as cellular metabolism, morphology, migration, and the gene expression underlying these phenotypes. We found that elongation, metabolic activity and migration increased on collagen and decreased on fibrinogen. Furthermore, there were significant differences in the expression of various genes on the different matrices. This work highlights the impact the ECM may have on breast cancer and how understanding the constituents of the ECM may provide information on cancer prognosis and potential therapeutic targets.