2ⁿᵈ Edition of the Cancer R&D World Conference 2026

Abstract

Collective cell migration has a key role during morphogenesis and during wound healing and tissue renewal in the adult, and it is involved in cancer spreading. Tumor cell motility is required for solid tumour growth processes. Cooperative, collective cell motility appears also to contribute to tumour metastasis. Collective cell migration results from the establishment and maintenance of collective polarization, mechanocoupling, and cytoskeletal kinetics. The guidance of collective cell migration depends on a reciprocal process between cell intrinsic multicellular organization with leader follower cell behavior and results in mechanosensory integration of extracellular guidance cues. During collective migration, multiple cells migrate in the same direction at a bulk speed. Moreover, these cells coordinate their response to the environment, ensuring that cells that would otherwise be immobile or migrate in a different direction also follow the global movement. In this way, external stimuli can induce certain changes in the conditions of the cellular environment and modify the dynamics of these cancer cells. Recent publications demonstrate how application of external forces of different nature can modify these collective motion processes.

In this paper we show how a strategic application of low Intensity Ultrasound waves LICUs hinders migration and invasion of epithelial cancer cells and we present an optimization study of this non invasive and non ionizing irradiation. This research has been performed in in vitro assays to study the effects of the LICUS actuation in wound healing processes developed with pancreatic cancer cells grown in monolayers at certain acoustic conditions. Different parameters have been tested to find optimal conditions of the ultrasound treatment on pancreatic cancer cell monolayers. Frequencies varying from 500kHz up to 5MHz and variable irradiation doses ranging from 1 up to 20minutes have generated different results, which provide information of optimal conditions for the acoustic treatments to inhibit the cancer cell migration minimal energy consumption.

Final decision for the ultrasound treatment at a frequency close to 5 MHz and extremely short times of irradiation of 1 minute provide optimal effects of inhibition of migration on the cancer cells.