Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40256993›Full record

ArticleeLife2025

Cell crowding activates pro-invasive mechanotransduction pathway in high-grade DCIS via TRPV4 inhibition and cell volume reduction.

Xiangning Bu, Nathanael Ashby, Teresa Vitali, Sulgi Lee, Ananya Gottumukkala, Kangsun Yun, Sana Tabbara, Patricia Latham, Christine Teal, Inhee Chung

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in eLife, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Xiangning BuDepartment of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States.
Nathanael AshbyDepartment of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States.
Teresa VitaliDepartment of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States.
Sulgi LeeDepartment of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States.
Ananya GottumukkalaDepartment of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States.
Kangsun YunDepartment of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States.
Sana TabbaraDepartment of Pathology, George Washington Medical Faculty Associates, Washington, DC, United States.
Patricia LathamDepartment of Pathology, George Washington Medical Faculty Associates, Washington, DC, United States.
Christine TealDepartment of Surgery, George Washington Medical Faculty Associates, Washington, DC, United States.
Inhee ChungDepartment of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, George Washington University, Washington, DC, United States.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2312-6357

Funding

Children's National Hospital The Clinical and Translational Science InstituteGeorge Washington University Cross-Disciplinary Research Fund, Katzen Cancer Research Pilot Award
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Cell crowding is a common microenvironmental factor influencing various disease processes, but its role in promoting cell invasiveness remains unclear. This study investigates the biomechanical changes induced by cell crowding, focusing on pro-invasive cell volume reduction in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Crowding specifically enhanced invasiveness in high-grade DCIS cells through significant volume reduction compared to hyperplasia-mimicking or normal cells. Mass spectrometry revealed that crowding selectively relocated ion channels, including TRPV4, to the plasma membrane in high-grade DCIS cells. TRPV4 inhibition triggered by crowding decreased intracellular calcium levels, reduced cell volume, and increased invasion and motility. During this process, TRPV4 membrane relocation primed the channel for later activation, compensating for calcium loss. Analyses of patient-derived breast cancer tissues confirmed that plasma membrane-associated TRPV4 is specific to high-grade DCIS and indicates the presence of a pro-invasive cell volume reduction mechanotransduction pathway. Hyperosmotic conditions and pharmacologic TRPV4 inhibition mimicked crowding-induced effects, while TRPV4 activation reversed them. Silencing TRPV4 diminished mechanotransduction in high-grade DCIS cells, reducing calcium depletion, volume reduction, and motility. This study uncovers a novel pro-invasive mechanotransduction pathway driven by cell crowding and identifies TRPV4 as a potential biomarker for predicting invasion risk in DCIS patients.

Indexed as

Breast NeoplasmsCarcinoma, Intraductal, NoninfiltratingCell SizeMechanotransduction, CellularTRPV Cation ChannelsCalciumCell Line, TumorCell MovementFemaleHumansNeoplasm InvasivenessCalciumTRPV4 protein, humanTRPV Cation Channelscalcium homeostasiscancer biologycell biologycell volumeDCIShumanmechanotransductiontraffickingTRPV4

Identifiers

PMID40256993
PMCPMC12011371

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.