Role of Runx2 in cell migratory ability of breast cancer cells.

Human breast cancers are known to preferentially metastasize to the skeletal sites and the osteolytic bone destruction associated with breast cancer skeletal metastases represents a serious and incurable clinical condition. However, the cellular understanding of breast cancer cells migrating to bone was limited. Findings have demonstrated that breast cancer cells express Runx2 (Cbfa/AML3, the Runt family of Transcription Factors), which was essential for bone formation and a regulator of skeletal homeostasis. In our present study, we explored the possible role of Runx2 function in affecting breast cancer cell phenotype via in vitro cell migration assay. A two-way approach was adopted in which Runx2 expression was silenced in metastatic breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231 or conversely, Runx2 expression was upregulated via transient transfection in non-metastatic breast cancer cell line, MCF7. Our experimental results demonstrated that the depletion of Runx2 expression in MDA-MB-231 cells resulted in a decrease in percent closure, cell migration distance, and cell migration rate; whereas over-expression of Runx2 in MCF7 cells enhanced its percent closure, cell migration distance and cell migration rate. In conclusion, Runx2 plays a role in enhancing cell migration of breast cancer cell lines.Bachelor of Science in Biological Science

The first World Cell Race

In Authors: WCR participants World Wide, listed in Supplemental InformationInternational audienceMotility is a common property of animal cells. Cell motility is required for embryogenesis [1], tissue morphogenesis [2] and the immune response [3] but is also involved in disease processes, such as metastasis of cancer cells [4]. Analysis of cell migration in native tissue in vivo has yet to be fully explored, but motility can be relatively easily studied in vitro in isolated cells. Recent evidence suggests that cells plated in vitro on thin lines of adhesive proteins printed onto culture dishes can recapitulate many features of in vivo migration on collagen fibers [5,6]. However, even with controlled in vitro measurements, the characteristics of motility are diverse and are dependent on the cell type, origin and external cues. One objective of the first World Cell Race was to perform a large-scale comparison of motility across many different adherent cell types under standardized conditions. To achieve a diverse selection, we enlisted the help of many international laboratories, who submitted cells for analysis. The large-scale analysis, made feasible by this competition-oriented collaboration, demonstrated that higher cell speed correlates with the persistence of movement in the same direction irrespective of cell origin