細胞在體內會受到許多物理性或化學性因子的影響。先前許多研究中已經證實了不同癌細胞的趨電性現象。另外,由上皮生長因子觸發的信息路徑也已被發現與數種癌細胞的移動有關。在本研究中我們建立了一個具有穩定上皮生長因子濃度梯度以及直流電場的微流道細胞培養裝置,並藉由電場調控肺癌細胞在上皮生長因子濃度梯度中的移動。結果顯示當上皮生長因子濃度梯度為 0.5 M/mm,同時施加 360 mV/mm反方向的電場,肺癌細胞趨化性會變得不明顯,在觀測時間內的移動路徑也會縮短。研究中也利用兩種不同的肺癌細胞株證明了電場可以調控肺癌細胞在上皮生長因子濃度梯度中的移動方向。
The migration of cancer cells is affected by many physical or chemical factors. For example, the signallingpathways induced by epidermal growth factor (EGF) have been verifi ed to be related to the metastasis of varioustypes of cancer cells. The electrotaxis of cancer cells could also play significant roles in cancer metastasis. Weemployed direct-current electric fi elds (dcEFs) to modulate the chemotaxis of lung cancer cells in a microfl uidiccell culture device that incorporates both stable concentration gradients and dcEFs. We found that the chemotaxis oflung cancer cells induced by a 0.5 M/mm concentration gradient of EGF can be nearly compensated by a 360 mV/mm dcEF. When the effect of chemical stimulation was balanced by the electric fi eld, the cells migrated randomly,and the path lengths were reduced. We also demonstrated electrically modulated chemotaxis of two types of lungcancer cells with opposite directions of electrotaxis in this device.