“Piezo1 Mechano-Activation Is Augmented by Resveratrol and Differs between Colorectal Cancer Cells of Primary and Metastatic Origin” published in Molecules, selected as VINSE spotlight publication
Josh Greenlee is an NSF Graduate Research Fellow in the Michael King Laboratory where he has spent the last five-and-a-half years working toward his PhD. Josh’s research is focused on understanding mechanisms of metastasis and chemoresistance in colorectal cancer in order to identify weaknesses that can be exploited with targeted therapies. Josh’s recent publication in Molecules investigates how cancer cells respond to various environments of fluid flow present in the circulation. He discovered that metastatic cells are more resistant to fluid shear stress-mediated effects than cells isolated from the primary tumor of the same patient. Additionally, activation of the mechanosensitive ion channel Piezo1 sensitized cancer cells to TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)–mediated cell death. Pretreatment with the polyphenol resveratrol increased colocalization of Piezo1 into lipid rafts, increasing calcium influx following activation with the molecular agonist Yoda1. Overall, these results highlight mechanisms by which cancer cells survive aberrant fluid forces in the circulation, prompting future work leveraging mechanosensitive pathways with molecular agonists.