The Study of Cancer Cell Heterogeneity, by Image-based Migration Analysis

Abstract

Genetic heterogeneity is a key factor involved in tumor progression, and it is increasingly recognized that heterogeneity of phenotypic traits exists among individual cancer cells. In this dissertation, I investigate the heterogeneity of cancer cell motility via video-microscopic analysis by: 1) quantitating heterogeneity of cell motility, 2) exploring the differences in cell motility between non-tumorigenic and cancer cell lines, and 3) developing novel tools and metrics for the study of dynamic characteristics of cancer cells. To this end, over 7,300 cells were tracked and analyzed, from a variety of cell lines, in an assortment of microenvironmental conditions. The work presented in this dissertation provides important additions to the study of single-cell variability, and provides robust tools for future investigations in this field.