Induction of Apoptosis by High Levels of Oscillatory Shear Strain: Proof of Concept in a Human Colon Cancer Metastasis Cell Line.

Philippe Garteiser¹, Mouniya Mebarki¹, Sabrina Doblas¹, Simon Auguste Lambert¹, Valrie Vilgrain², Bernard E. Van Beers², Valerie Paradis³, Ralph Sinkus¹

Cells are able to sense their mechanical environment and to respond to it via appropriate cellular responses mediated via mechanotransduction. In particular, many cell types can regulate their levels of apoptosis, or programmed cell death, depending on which mechanical stimuli they receive. In the present communication, we show that calibrated levels of oscillatory shear strain, as measured by MR elastography, is sufficient to induce cellular death via apoptosis in the human colon cancer metastasis cell line, DHDK12.