Nano-imaging the inhibition of breast cancer cell migration by maduramicin via surface charge alteration using scanning ion conductance microscopy

Cancer cells possess a negatively charged surface that significantly influences key biological processes, including motility and invasiveness. Understanding the cellular membrane at the nanoscale level, especially in deciphering tumor migration mechanisms, is crucial yet complex. In this study, we explored the impact of maduramicin (MAD), a polyether ionophore antibiotic, on the surface charge distribution in tumor cell membranes. Our findings demonstrated that modulating calcium channels and disrupting charge distributions, imaged by a current difference-based scanning ion conductance microscopy (ΔI-SICM) method, resulted in significant reductions in both cell invasiveness and viability. These results emphasize the cell membrane's considerable role at the nano-bio interface, highlighting the intricate relationship between biophysical properties and cellular behaviors. Our research suggests that targeting the charge distribution of cell membrane may offer a novel therapeutic strategy to mitigate cell migration and enhance treatment outcomes in cancer therapy.