{"id":4366,"date":"2024-08-26T18:13:00","date_gmt":"2024-08-26T18:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=4366"},"modified":"2025-03-24T13:29:18","modified_gmt":"2025-03-24T13:29:18","slug":"rice-university-researchers-innovate-lotus-leaf-inspired-cancer-model-to-study-metastasis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/rice-university-researchers-innovate-lotus-leaf-inspired-cancer-model-to-study-metastasis\/","title":{"rendered":"Rice University Researchers Innovate Lotus Leaf-Inspired Cancer Model to Study Metastasis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">Researchers at Rice University have pioneered a revolutionary system resembling the lotus leaf to study cancer cell clusters, potentially unlocking critical insights into metastasis and cancer progression.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a breakthrough development, bioengineers at Rice University have revolutionized the field of cancer research by harnessing the &#8220;lotus effect&#8221; \u2014 a self-cleaning, water-repellent characteristic of lotus leaves \u2014 to create a cutting-edge system for culturing cancer cell clusters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The innovative system, crafted from a zinc oxide-based surface, mimics the unique texture of the lotus leaf, complete with nanosized ridges and folds that trap air and repel water. This new platform, known as the Superhydrophobic Array Device (SHArD), enables the high-throughput generation of three-dimensional nanoscale tumor models. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The SHArD device, designed by Michael King and his team, aims to shed light on the elusive properties of tumor progression and metastasis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The study of metastasis \u2014 the leading cause of cancer deaths \u2014 poses a particular challenge in part due to the difficulty of developing accurate, high-throughput models,&#8221; King, the E.D. Butcher Chair of Bioengineering &amp; CPRIT Scholar at Rice University and corresponding author of a study <a href=\"https:\/\/pubs.acs.org\/doi\/10.1021\/acsnano.4c08132\" title=\"\">published<\/a> in ACS Nano, said in a <a href=\"https:\/\/news.rice.edu\/news\/2024\/rice-bioengineers-develop-lotus-leaf-inspired-system-advance-study-cancer-cell-clusters\" title=\"\">news release<\/a>. &#8220;We hope this tool will unlock new knowledge about this problematic stage of the disease and help us identify ways to intervene in order to stop or prevent it from happening.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Traditionally, scientists rely on blood samples containing circulating tumor cells to understand primary tumors and cancer metastasis. However, these &#8220;liquid biopsy&#8221; samples often fail to provide a sufficient number of cells for large-scale studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;&#8216;Safety in numbers&#8217; unfortunately also applies to cancer cells circulating in the bloodstream,&#8221; Alexandria Carter, a doctoral student and researcher in the King lab who co-authored the study, said in the news release. \u201cCancer cells traveling alone are more likely to succumb to shear stress destruction or immune cell attacks. However, when they travel in groups, the likelihood that they successfully reach and settle in other parts of the body increases.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The King lab\u2019s journey toward SHArD began in 2018 when postdoctoral fellow Kalana Jayawardana experimented with growing zinc oxide nanorod surfaces. Initially driven by curiosity, the project evolved under the guidance of doctoral student Maria Lopez-Cavestany. With a stable \u201ccarpet\u201d of zinc oxide nanotubes topped with a Teflon-like coating, they successfully recreated the superhydrophobic properties of the lotus leaf.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSHArD is ready to use in biomedical research,\u201d added Carter. \u201cAny lab with clean room access can follow our protocols and create versions of this platform that meet the exact needs of their specific research projects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Originally intended for culturing primary tumor models, SHArD can also be adapted to study metastatic clusters. This flexibility opens new avenues for research, as the device enables labs to create superhydrophobic culturing environments without needing specialized equipment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The cluster-forming device has opened the door to new areas of research into the dangerous clusters found in the bloodstream of late-stage cancer patients,&#8221; King added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The research, supported by the National Institutes of Health, promises to be a game changer in understanding and potentially preventing cancer metastasis, a crucial step towards improved cancer treatment and survival rates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a breakthrough development, bioengineers at Rice University have revolutionized the field of cancer research by harnessing the &#8220;lotus effect&#8221; \u2014 a self-cleaning, water-repellent characteristic of lotus leaves \u2014 to create a cutting-edge system for culturing cancer cell clusters. The innovative system, crafted from a zinc oxide-based surface, mimics the unique texture of the lotus [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4366","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"In a breakthrough development, bioengineers at Rice University have revolutionized the field of cancer research by harnessing the &#8220;lotus effect&#8221; \u2014 a self-cleaning, water-repellent characteristic of lotus leaves \u2014 to create a cutting-edge system for culturing cancer cell clusters. The innovative system, crafted from a zinc oxide-based surface, mimics the unique texture of the lotus&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4366","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4366"}],"version-history":[{"count":14,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4366\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20655,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4366\/revisions\/20655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4366"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4366"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4366"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}