Nuclear enlargement after confined migration in cancer cells.

Aggressive cell migration is a hallmark of cancer cells. Cancer cells pass through a 3D confined environment during metastasis, which induces mechanical stress on the nucleus. Transwell membranes have been used in research to induce mechanical stress by cell migration in 3D confined space, but other products with microscale pores have not been widely investigated. Here, we report how cancer cells respond to mechanical stress using a TC insert with microscale pores that mimic a 3D confined extracellular environment. As shown in previous studies using the Transwell membranes, our results indicate that the size of microscale pores in the TC insert modulates cancer cell penetration rates and nuclear morphology. Thus, the TC insert is also a useful option to induce mechanical stress by cell migration in a 3D confined environment.