Regulation of Tumor Invasion and Metastasis by Matrix Stiffness

Narrative/Relevance The proposed research aims to determine how mechanical forces exerted from extracellular matrix in the tumor microenvironment are translated into biochemical signals to regulate breast tumor invasion and metastasis. In this supplement application, we aim to test whether this mechanism is altered due to trisomy 21, thus contributing to ~10-fold reduction of breast cancer incidence in individuals with Down syndrome.