Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common form of cancer among males in Europe and in the USA and the most common curative treatment is removal of the prostate, i.e. prostatectomy. After the removal, the pr...Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common form of cancer among males in Europe and in the USA and the most common curative treatment is removal of the prostate, i.e. prostatectomy. After the removal, the prostate is histopathologically analysed. One area of interest is to examine the perifery of the prostate, as tumours on and near the surface can indicate that the PCa has spread to other parts of the body. There are no current methods to examine the surface of the prostate at the time of surgery. Tactile resonance sensors can be used for detecting areas of different stiffness in soft tissue. Human prostate tissue affected by cancer is usually stiffer than healthy tissue, and for this purpose, a tactile resonance sensor was developed. The aim of this study was to investigate the depth at which embedded stiffer volumes could be detected, using soft tissue phantoms. Methods: With the tactile resonance sensor used in this study, the shift of the resonance frequency and the force at contact with tissue can be measured, and combined into a tissue stiffness parameter. The detection sensitivity of the sensor at impression depths, 0.4 and 0.8 mm, was measured for detection of inserted nodules of stiff silicone in softer silicone and in chicken muscle tissue, mimicking prostate tissue with cancer tumours. Results: Measurements on the silicone samples detected the hidden stiffer object at a depth of 1 - 4 mm with a difference in the stiffness parameter of 80 - 900 mN/kHz (p < 0.028, n = 48). At the depth 5 - 6 mm the difference was smaller but still significant < 30 mN/kHz (p < 0.05, n = 24). For the measurements on chicken muscle, the detectable depth was 4 mm (p < 0.05, n = 24). Conclusion: This model study suggests that, with only a small impression depth of ≤1 mm, the resonance sensor system described here can detect stiffness variations located at least 4 mm in silicone and chicken muscle, mimicking tumours in prostate tissue.展开更多
Breast cancer is marked by large increases in the protein fibers around tumor cells.These fibers increase the mechanical stiffness of the tissue,which has long been used for tumor diagnosis by manual palpation.Recent ...Breast cancer is marked by large increases in the protein fibers around tumor cells.These fibers increase the mechanical stiffness of the tissue,which has long been used for tumor diagnosis by manual palpation.Recent research in bioengineering has led to the development of novel biomaterials that model the mechanical and architectural properties of the tumor microenvironment and can be used to understand how these cues regulate the growth and spread of breast cancer.Herein,we provide an overview of how the mechanical properties of breast tumor tissues differ from those of normal breast tissue and noncancerous lesions.We also describe how biomaterial models make it possible to understand how the stiffness and viscosity of the extracellular environment regulate cell migration and breast cancer metastasis.We highlight the need for biomaterial models that allow independent analysis of the individual and different mechanical properties of the tumor microenvironment and that use cells derived from different regions within tumors.These models will guide the development of novel mechano-based therapies against breast cancer metastasis.展开更多
基金supported by The Industrial Doctoral School at Umea University and by grants from Objective 2 North Sweden-EU Structural Fund.
文摘Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common form of cancer among males in Europe and in the USA and the most common curative treatment is removal of the prostate, i.e. prostatectomy. After the removal, the prostate is histopathologically analysed. One area of interest is to examine the perifery of the prostate, as tumours on and near the surface can indicate that the PCa has spread to other parts of the body. There are no current methods to examine the surface of the prostate at the time of surgery. Tactile resonance sensors can be used for detecting areas of different stiffness in soft tissue. Human prostate tissue affected by cancer is usually stiffer than healthy tissue, and for this purpose, a tactile resonance sensor was developed. The aim of this study was to investigate the depth at which embedded stiffer volumes could be detected, using soft tissue phantoms. Methods: With the tactile resonance sensor used in this study, the shift of the resonance frequency and the force at contact with tissue can be measured, and combined into a tissue stiffness parameter. The detection sensitivity of the sensor at impression depths, 0.4 and 0.8 mm, was measured for detection of inserted nodules of stiff silicone in softer silicone and in chicken muscle tissue, mimicking prostate tissue with cancer tumours. Results: Measurements on the silicone samples detected the hidden stiffer object at a depth of 1 - 4 mm with a difference in the stiffness parameter of 80 - 900 mN/kHz (p < 0.028, n = 48). At the depth 5 - 6 mm the difference was smaller but still significant < 30 mN/kHz (p < 0.05, n = 24). For the measurements on chicken muscle, the detectable depth was 4 mm (p < 0.05, n = 24). Conclusion: This model study suggests that, with only a small impression depth of ≤1 mm, the resonance sensor system described here can detect stiffness variations located at least 4 mm in silicone and chicken muscle, mimicking tumours in prostate tissue.
基金The authors would like to thank the Weston Park Cancer Centre(University of Sheffield,UK)the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia(FCT),the Portuguese Government(PEst-OE/QUI/UI0674/2013)the Agência Regional para o Desenvolvimento da InvestigaçaõTecnologia e Inovação(ARDITI),M1420-01-0145-FEDER-000005 Centro de Química da Madeira(CQM)(Madeira 14-20).
文摘Breast cancer is marked by large increases in the protein fibers around tumor cells.These fibers increase the mechanical stiffness of the tissue,which has long been used for tumor diagnosis by manual palpation.Recent research in bioengineering has led to the development of novel biomaterials that model the mechanical and architectural properties of the tumor microenvironment and can be used to understand how these cues regulate the growth and spread of breast cancer.Herein,we provide an overview of how the mechanical properties of breast tumor tissues differ from those of normal breast tissue and noncancerous lesions.We also describe how biomaterial models make it possible to understand how the stiffness and viscosity of the extracellular environment regulate cell migration and breast cancer metastasis.We highlight the need for biomaterial models that allow independent analysis of the individual and different mechanical properties of the tumor microenvironment and that use cells derived from different regions within tumors.These models will guide the development of novel mechano-based therapies against breast cancer metastasis.
