Bone-seeking tumor cells alter bone material quality parameters on the nanoscale in mice

Bone metastases related to breast and prostate cancer present with multiple challenges and skeletal related events like fragility fractures impair the quality of life of the patients significantly. To determine local alterations in bone material quality with bone metastasis, we subjected murine tibial specimens, generated after intratibial injections of either RM1 prostate cancer cells or EO771 breast cancer cells into male and female mice respectively, to high-resolution imaging modalities. Small and wide-angle X-ray scattering showed unaltered mineral characteristics in the more osteosclerotic prostate cancer model, while the quantification of calcium weight percentage via backscattered electron microscopy determined minor differences along the perilacunar bone matrix. Further analyses of mineral and collagen characteristics were performed using Raman spectroscopy and focused ion beam electron microscopy. Our study indicates that alterations in nanochannel properties occur due to the presence of bone seeking tumor cells with more prevalent nanopores in the perilacunar matrix. • Bone quality investigation on murine model of bone-infiltrated breast and prostate cancer cells • Perilacunar matrix presents with heterogeneous calcium density distribution • Elevated nanoporosity in osteosclerotic regions of prostate model