Micropatterned surfaces for the study of cancer and endothelial cell interactions with hyaluronic acid

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a glycosaminoglycan component of the extracellular matrix. Studies have shown that various cancers exhibit high levels of HA content, and that an increased amount of HA corresponds to poor patient prognosis. HA has been implicated in cellular interactions that are associated with cancer progression, including cell adhesion, motility, and differentiation. Micropatterned functional HA surfaces were developed to study interactions between cancer cells and HA. The adhesion and migration of cancer cells representing different stages of tumorigenesis were examined. A similar surface patterning approach was used to create HA regions next to fibronectin in two- and three-dimensional settings to visualize and study the interactions between cancer and endothelial cells. The ability to observe the dynamic interactions of cancer cells and angiogenesis within a HA-rich microenvironment will improve the fundamental understanding of cancer progression and contribute to the development of advanced therapeutic targets.