Breakdown of cell-collagen networks through collagen remodeling

Andreea Iordan (1) , Alain Duperray (2) , Anaïs Gérard (2) , Alexei Grichine (2) , Claude Verdier (1)

1 LSP - Laboratoire de Spectrométrie Physique
2 INSERM U823 - Institut d'oncologie/développement Albert Bonniot de Grenoble

Collagen model tissues are analyzed, which consist of cells embedded in a collagen matrix at different concentrations (of cells and collagen). Rheological properties are measured and complementary confocal microscopy analyses are carried out. An important feature is observed, corresponding to the breakdown of the collagen network (i.e. decrease in network elasticity) for high collagen concentrations, due to the presence of cells. Thanks to confocal microscopy, we show that cells elongate within the gel and can remodel it, this being a concentration-dependent feature. A careful analysis of the remodelling process shows that cells can attract collagen in their close neighborhood, this being an irreversible process, and that migrating cells create collagen-depleted regions behind them.

Mots clés: tissue; collagen; rheology; confocal; reflectance; remodeling

Domaines: Biomécanique [physics.med-ph]; Biomécanique [physics.med-ph]

Andreea Iordan, Alain Duperray, Anaïs Gérard, Alexei Grichine, Claude Verdier. Breakdown of cell-collagen networks through collagen remodeling. Biorheology, 2010, 47 (5-6), pp.277-295. ⟨10.3233/BIR-2010-0575⟩. ⟨hal-00461130v2⟩