Targeting cholesterol-dependent Piezo1 activation impairs amoeboid migration in melanoma cells

Bleb-based migration enables cancer cells to navigate the heterogeneous tumor microenvironment. Here, we report a phenotypic screen identifying drugs that inhibit bleb formation, a driver of amoeboid migration. Statins, including Fluvastatin, suppress amoeboid migration of melanoma cells in confined environments by reducing intracellular cholesterol. This disrupts plasma membrane tension sensing by Piezo1, lowering intracellular Ca 2+ levels. Both cholesterol supplementation and Piezo1 activation rescue migration in confined environments, confirming their functional link. Notably, high cholesterol biosynthesis enzyme levels correlate with reduced patient survival in melanoma. These findings reveal that cholesterol is essential for confinement sensing through Piezo1, identifying cholesterol biosynthesis or uptake as rational therapeutic targets against metastasis.