Nanofabricated 3D cage-like structures for cancer cell discrimination

Some cellular mechanisms such as migration and invasion, are determined and regulated by cell mechanical properties, especially during embryonic development or tumorigenesis. In these cases, cells attitude to undergo deformation and to displace their whole body is a crucial point for survival and metastasis formation. Extracellular environment three-dimensionality is a key feature influencing cell mechanics, and micro- and nano-fabricated structures represent a promising tool to study cell behavior. Here we engineer 3D- cage-like microstructures realized by two-photon polymerization to analyze cell migration through pores significantly smaller than the cell nucleus. We found that cells spontaneously interact with the cages by applying force at the cell-cage contact points while rearranging their cytoskeleton. The ability to traverse pores of different area depends on the invasiveness of the cell lines, allowing to discriminate between cells with different invasive potential.