Mechanical properties of 67NR tumours are broadly independent of the immune status of the host mouse

Abstract

Tumour stiffness is increasingly seen as a clinically relevant parameter, with increased stiffness being linked to poorer prognosis, but it is also one that is not inherently easy to measure either in vivo or ex vivo. We have established a testing protocol for fresh ex vivo tumour tissue from tumour bearing mice using a Stable Micro Systems texture analyser fitted with a 2mm diameter cylindrical probe. The data demonstrate that, in this tumour model, changes in tumour growth time alter the tumour stiffness, but the presence or absence of T-cells does not significantly alter tumour stiffness. However, there may be more substantial differences if a more immunogenic tumour model was employed.