Cell-Matrix Interactions During Tumor Angiogenesis
Tumor vasculature exhibits numerous phenotypic differences compared to vasculature in healthy tissues. Tumor vasculature is more tortuous and leaky than healthy vasculature, and it is marked by the presence of the EDB isoform of fibronectin. Many of these phenotypic differences have been attributed to upregulated growth factor expression, however our recent data suggests that changes in tissue stiffness can alter endothelial cell behavior. Specifically, increased matrix stiffness enhances fibronectin deposition and promotes the alternative splicing of fibronectin into the EDB fragment. Additionally, using in vitro, ex ovo and in vivo assays, we have shown that vessel integrity and architecture is compromised by increased tissue stiffness. Our data point to a previously undescribed mechanism by which tissue stiffness promotes tumor progression.
Bio
Cynthia Reinhart-King is an associate professor in the department of Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University and a member of the Mechanical Engineering field. She obtained undergraduate degrees in chemical engineering and biology at MIT and her PhD at the University of Pennsylvania in the Department of Bioengineering as a Whitaker Fellow. She then completed postdoctoral training as an Individual NIH NRSA postdoctoral fellow in the Cardiovascular Research Institute at the University of Rochester. Dr. Reinhart-King’s current research interests are in the areas of cell mechanics and cell migration specifically in the context of cancer and atherosclerosis. Her lab uses a multidisciplinary approach, drawing from cell and molecular biology, biophysics, and biomechanics to quantitatively examine the mechanisms of tissue formation and disease progression. Her lab has received funding from the American Heart Association, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation and the American Federation of Aging Research. She has been awarded the Rita Schaffer Young Investigator Award from the Biomedical Engineering Society and an NSF CAREER Award. She has also received the 2010 Sonny Yau ‘72 Excellence in Teaching Award, the highest award for teaching in Cornell’s College of Engineering, a 2013 Cook Award for “contributions towards improving the climate for women at Cornell,” and the 2015 Zellman Warhaft Commitment to Diversity Award from the Cornell College of Engineering. She is currently serving on the BMES Board of Directors.