Yden chamber is likely caused by the fact that (i) Boyden chambers do not distinguish chemotaxis versus chemokinesis [12,41]; (ii) 2D chemotaxis is fundamentally different from 3D chemoinvasion [28,42]. In 2D, cells exhibit large focal adhesion complexes, and their migrationTumor Cells Display Mild Chemokinesis in SDF-1a GradientsWe first looked at the fraction of migrating cells (PD1-PDL1 inhibitor 1 defined as cell speed .0.2 mm/min), and observed no visible changes, 0.6460.05 for control vs. 0.6260.04 for 111 nM/mm SDF-1a. We then plotted the average cell speed under various SDF-1a gradients. MedChemExpress CAL-120 Figure 3B shows that cells have no significant speed increase when SDF-1a gradient was less than 56 nM/mm (or an average SDF-1a concentration of 25 nM) and an increase of speed, about 7?3 , when SDF-1a gradient was equal or greater than 56 nM/mm. Measurements of persistence lengths along6direction also demonstrate the chemotactic behavior of tumor 16574785 cells along the SDF-1a gradients (Figure 3C). It is interesting to note that the persistence length was significantly higher (20?0 ) at low SDF-1a gradients (less or equal to 56 nM/mm) (Figure 3D).Roles of Two Cytokines in Tumor Cell Migrationchemotaxis [28]. Although it is difficult to compare the results from a 3D microfluidic model here directly with those of a 2D model, we do not exclude the possibility that a steeper EGF gradient may stimulate a chemotactic response. The gradient shapes could be critical in the case of aggregating receptor systems such as EGFR, suggesting that the difference in fractional receptor activation is more important than the difference in fractional receptor occupancy [48]. The persistence length along the gradient direction Px was decreased in the presence of EGF gradients (Figure 4C), while the persistence length P under various EGF gradients (Figure 4D) did not display a general pattern, it decreased at an EGF gradient of 0.56 nM/mm (or average concentration of 0.25 nM), and increased at EGF gradient of 18.2 nM/mm (or average concentration of 8.33 nM).Uniform Background of EGF Abrogates Chemoinvasion of MDA-MB-231 Cells in SDF-1a Gradients; EGF and SDF1a Cooperatively Modulate MDA-MB-231 Cell MotilitySurprisingly, we found that tumor cell chemoinvasion up a gradient of SDF-1a (111 nM/mm) was abrogated by the presence of a uniform background of 0.25 nM EGF (Fig. 5A). Furthermore, when EGF concentration was increased to 8.33 nM, tumor cells actually displayed chemorepulsive behavior to the SDF-1a gradient (Fig. 5A). Previous work using a 2D microfluidic model demonstrated that exogenous EGF is required for facilitating MDA-MB-231 cell chemotaxis in SDF-1a gradients [27]. We argue that the difference of our observation and their work comes from three factors. (i) 2D cell migration is fundamentally different from 3D cell migration as stated above; (ii) Autocrine signals are washed away in the flow based 2D device, while they retained in the diffusion based 3D device. It has been demonstrated that autocrine EGF influences the persistence of epithelial cell migration [49]; (iii) Flow based 2D device provides steeper and nonlinear gradient profile, while the diffusion based 3D device provides linear gradient profile. Figure 5B shows that EGF and SDF-1a cooperatively modulate cell motility. Here we show the average cell speed under the same chemical gradient condition as those shown in Figure 5A. With EGF (0.25 nM) alone, the cell speed increased ,9 ; with SDF-1a gradient (111 nM/mm) and EGF back.Yden chamber is likely caused by the fact that (i) Boyden chambers do not distinguish chemotaxis versus chemokinesis [12,41]; (ii) 2D chemotaxis is fundamentally different from 3D chemoinvasion [28,42]. In 2D, cells exhibit large focal adhesion complexes, and their migrationTumor Cells Display Mild Chemokinesis in SDF-1a GradientsWe first looked at the fraction of migrating cells (defined as cell speed .0.2 mm/min), and observed no visible changes, 0.6460.05 for control vs. 0.6260.04 for 111 nM/mm SDF-1a. We then plotted the average cell speed under various SDF-1a gradients. Figure 3B shows that cells have no significant speed increase when SDF-1a gradient was less than 56 nM/mm (or an average SDF-1a concentration of 25 nM) and an increase of speed, about 7?3 , when SDF-1a gradient was equal or greater than 56 nM/mm. Measurements of persistence lengths along6direction also demonstrate the chemotactic behavior of tumor 16574785 cells along the SDF-1a gradients (Figure 3C). It is interesting to note that the persistence length was significantly higher (20?0 ) at low SDF-1a gradients (less or equal to 56 nM/mm) (Figure 3D).Roles of Two Cytokines in Tumor Cell Migrationchemotaxis [28]. Although it is difficult to compare the results from a 3D microfluidic model here directly with those of a 2D model, we do not exclude the possibility that a steeper EGF gradient may stimulate a chemotactic response. The gradient shapes could be critical in the case of aggregating receptor systems such as EGFR, suggesting that the difference in fractional receptor activation is more important than the difference in fractional receptor occupancy [48]. The persistence length along the gradient direction Px was decreased in the presence of EGF gradients (Figure 4C), while the persistence length P under various EGF gradients (Figure 4D) did not display a general pattern, it decreased at an EGF gradient of 0.56 nM/mm (or average concentration of 0.25 nM), and increased at EGF gradient of 18.2 nM/mm (or average concentration of 8.33 nM).Uniform Background of EGF Abrogates Chemoinvasion of MDA-MB-231 Cells in SDF-1a Gradients; EGF and SDF1a Cooperatively Modulate MDA-MB-231 Cell MotilitySurprisingly, we found that tumor cell chemoinvasion up a gradient of SDF-1a (111 nM/mm) was abrogated by the presence of a uniform background of 0.25 nM EGF (Fig. 5A). Furthermore, when EGF concentration was increased to 8.33 nM, tumor cells actually displayed chemorepulsive behavior to the SDF-1a gradient (Fig. 5A). Previous work using a 2D microfluidic model demonstrated that exogenous EGF is required for facilitating MDA-MB-231 cell chemotaxis in SDF-1a gradients [27]. We argue that the difference of our observation and their work comes from three factors. (i) 2D cell migration is fundamentally different from 3D cell migration as stated above; (ii) Autocrine signals are washed away in the flow based 2D device, while they retained in the diffusion based 3D device. It has been demonstrated that autocrine EGF influences the persistence of epithelial cell migration [49]; (iii) Flow based 2D device provides steeper and nonlinear gradient profile, while the diffusion based 3D device provides linear gradient profile. Figure 5B shows that EGF and SDF-1a cooperatively modulate cell motility. Here we show the average cell speed under the same chemical gradient condition as those shown in Figure 5A. With EGF (0.25 nM) alone, the cell speed increased ,9 ; with SDF-1a gradient (111 nM/mm) and EGF back.