Investigating the Effect of Magnetic Nanoparticles on Collagen Alignment

Abstract

The extracellular matrix (ECM) is a protein-rich network in cells, mostly made of collagen type 1. In cancer, collagen alignment is increased, contributing to stiffer ECM and consequently increasing cell migration and tumor progression. Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) show a promising way of replicating and studying the cancer microenvironment in vitro. In this study, we aim to visualize how magnetic nanoparticles influence collagen alignment. We use SeraSil-Mag Silica Coated Superparamagnetic beads to serve as magnetic nanoparticles and magnetic bars to induce alignment of collagen. A confocal reflectance microscopy (CRM) is used to view the alignment and is quantified with CurveAlign and MATLAB. Developing this model will lead to further study of drug resistance in cancer