Lung adenocarcinoma cells respond differently to mechanical stress in 3D versus 2D environments

Two-dimensional (2D) culture models are commonly used in cancer research, but fail to recapitulate complex mechanical cues of native tissues. In this study, we developed an ex vivo three-dimensional (3D) lung cancer model by seeding human lung adenocarcinoma cells into decellularised rat lungs and culturing them in a pressure chamber and perfusion system mimicking respiratory motion (RM) and blood flow. In 3D culture, RM promoted cell adhesion and proliferation, enhanced the nuclear translocation of β-catenin and YAP, and increased the expression of integrin β1 and E-cadherin. In addition, upregulation of extracellular matrix- and cell adhesion-related genes was particularly notable. In contrast, in 2D culture, RM suppressed cell proliferation and induced apoptosis, with prominent upregulation of tumour suppressor genes. Our findings demonstrate that dimensionality and mechanical stress synergistically influence lung cancer cell dynamics and underscore the need for 3D models in cancer research that closely replicate the native lung tissue microenvironment.