Biology subjects

Lehn, M.

Publications and source records attributed to Lehn, M..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Label-free monitoring of therapy response in 3D spheroids using lab-on-a-chip impedance spectroscopy

The high incidence and mortality of cancer continue to drive research and development of effective therapies. Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC) platforms have emerged as powerful alternatives to traditional biological evaluation methods, offering reduced complexity, lower costs, and improved throughput. In parallel, the integration of non-invasive and non-destructive sensing techniques have expanded opportunities for real-time and label-free analysis. Electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), which exploits the intrinsic dielectric properties of cells, has shown promise for the quantitative evaluation of 3D cellular structures. In this study, we demonstrate the application of LOC-based EIS to assess the bioeffects of radiotherapy on 3D head and neck cancer spheroids. Our results establish EIS as a viable tool for real-time monitoring of treatment-induced changes in 3D tumor models, supporting its potential in preclinical cancer research and therapeutic screening.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Potassium channels mediate the inhibitory effect of exosomes on anti-tumor immunity in head and neck cancer

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) are aggressive cancers with a relatively low response rate to immunotherapy. Anti-tumor immune responses rely on cytotoxic T and NK cells infiltrating the tumor microenvironment to eliminate cancer cells. However, tumors activate multiple mechanisms to evade these responses. Tumor-derived small extracellular vesicles, also known as exosomes, reshape the tumor microenvironment by impairing cytotoxic T and NK cell function, promoting immune escape and metastasis. Transcriptomic analysis of healthy donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) exposed to exosomes from HPV-negative HNSCC patient primary cancer cells revealed reduced cytotoxic cells and suppressed immune responses including cytotoxicity, chemokine production, and NK and T cell functions. Bead-based multiplex immunoassay showed that HNSCC-derived exosomes inhibited the release of effector cytokines (IL-2, TNF-, IFN-{gamma}) and cytotoxic molecules from activated CD8 T cells. While ion channels regulate Ca{superscript 2}-dependent cytotoxicity and cytokine production and release, their role in exosome-mediated immune suppression is unexplored. We found that tumor-derived exosomes selectively inhibit KCa3.1 channel activity in CD8 T cells by downregulating calmodulin, ultimately impairing Ca{superscript 2} signaling and IFN-{gamma} release. This study identifies a novel mechanism of exosome-mediated immunosuppression, positioning KCa3.1 as a promising therapeutic target to enhance immune surveillance and immunotherapy response in HNSCC.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2025

Matrix stiffness modulated release of spheroid-derived extracellular vesicles and discovery of Piezo1 cargo

Augmented extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness is a mechanical hallmark of cancer. Mechanotransduction studies have extensively probed the mechanisms by which ECM stiffness regulates intracellular communication. However, the influence of stiffness on intercellular communication aiding tumor progression in three-dimensional microenvironments remains unknown. Small extracellular vesicles (EVs) are communicators of altered biophysical cues to distant sites through EV-ECM interactions and EV-mediated recipient cell-ECM interactions. Here we demonstrate stiffness-mediated modulation of small EVs secretion and cargo from three-dimensional oral squamous cell carcinoma spheroids. Using a spheroid culture platform with varying matrix stiffness properties, we show that small EVs carry parental biomolecular cargo, including mechanosensitive Piezo1 ion channel and adhesion molecule CD44. We comprehensively validate the presence of both markers in our EV populations using proteomic and genetic analysis. Transcriptomic analysis of microRNA and long non-coding RNA cargo of small EVs released from soft and stiff ECM spheroids revealed enrichment of tumorigenic and metastatic profiles in EVs from stiff ECM cultures compared to that of soft ones. Gene set enrichment analysis of a comparative dataset obtained by overlaying spheroid mRNA and EV miRNA profiles identified key oncogenic pathways involved in cell-EV crosstalk in the spheroid model.

cancer biology↗