Figure 6

Transportability and biological parameters of tumor cells dissociated from the tumor center and periphery are compared.

(a) Images show the excised tumor, tumor center and tumor periphery. (b) Fluorescence images show E-cadherin (green) and vimentin (red) staining of cells from the tumor center and periphery. Cells were counterstained with DAPI. E-cadherin is down-regulated and vimentin is up-regulated in cells from tumor periphery, scale bar = 20 μm. (c,d) Transportability is plotted versus cell diameter for cells from the tumor center (c) and tumor periphery (d). Inner and outer red circles indicate the 50% and 90% confidence interval centered at the mean depicted by a green dot, N = number of cells counted. (e) The proportion of indicated cell types with indicated levels of transportability is given. The tumor periphery contains more cells with high transportability. (f) A comparison of Young’s moduli and transportability is made in indicated cells. Cells from the tumor periphery are more flexible and have higher transportability than MCF-7 cells and cells from the tumor center. Data are presented as mean ± s.d. ***P < 0.001 compared to tumor center cells.