Role of galectin-3 in the elastic response of radial growth phase melanoma cancer cells

Melanoma is originated from the malignant transformation of the melanocytes and is characterized by a high rate of invasion, the more serious stage compromising deeper layers of the skin and eventually leading to the metastasis. A high mortality due to melanoma lesion persists because most of melanoma lesions are detected in advanced stages, which decreases the chances of survival. The identification of the principal mechanics implicated in the development and progression of melanoma is essential to devise new early diagnosis strategies. Cell mechanics is related with a lot of cellular functions and processes, for instance motility, differentiation, migration and invasion. In particular, the elastic modulus (Young's modulus) is a very explored parameter to describe the cell mechanical properties; most cancer cells reported in the literature smaller elasticity modulus. In this work, we show that the elastic modulus of melanoma cells lacking galectin-3 is significantly lower than those of melanoma cells expressing galectin-3. More interestingly, the gradient of elastic modulus in cells from the nuclear region towards the cell periphery is more pronounced in shGal3 cells.

Automated summary

Melanoma is a highly invasive form of skin cancer that arises from malignant transformation of melanocytes. Identifying the key mechanisms involved in melanoma development and progression is crucial for early diagnosis strategies. Cell mechanics, including the elastic modulus, plays a role in cellular functions and processes. Our study demonstrates that melanoma cells lacking galectin-3 have significantly lower elastic modulus compared to cells expressing galectin-3, and the gradient of elastic modulus is more pronounced in cells lacking galectin-3.