Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Cell Migration

Cell Migration

Cell migration is a process by which the cells move from one location to another, playing an essential role in embryological development, repair and regeneration, immune response, and metastasis. Cells migrate in response to chemical or mechanical signals generated by specific organs or tissues. The overall mechanism includes three steps - polarization, protrusion, and release. Polarization involves the formation of a distinct cell front and rear, which determines the direction of movement.

Cell Migration

Cell Migration

Cell migration, the process by which cells move from one location to another, is essential for the proper development and viability of organisms throughout their life. When cells are not able to migrate properly to their ordained locations, various disorders may occur. For example, disruption in cell migration causes chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.

Role of Ephrin-Eph Signalling in Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal

Role of Ephrin-Eph Signalling in Intestinal Stem Cell Renewal

Erythropoietin-producing hepatocellular carcinoma receptor (Eph) and its ligand, Eph receptor-interacting protein (Ephrin) were first discovered in the human carcinoma cell line, hence the name. Ephrin-Eph interaction guides cells to reach their appropriate location in adult tissues. They also play an essential role in the immune system by helping in immune cell migration, adhesion, and activation. Based on their structure and function, Eph is divided into two classes — EphA and EphB.

Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration

Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration

Cells can detect chemical cues in their environment and reorganize the cytoskeleton to migrate toward them or away from them. This directional migration, called chemotaxis, is essential during embryogenesis and development, immune response, tissue repair and regeneration, and reproduction. These chemical cues can either attract or repel the cell's movement. For example, axon development is determined by a combination of chemoattractants and chemorepellents that direct the growing axon towards...

Cell Motility through Blebbing

Cell Motility through Blebbing

Blebs are a type of membrane protrusion formed by the internal hydrostatic pressure of the cytoplasm. Blebs are observed in several cell types, including fibroblasts, immune cells, and single-celled organisms like the amoeba. The primary function of blebs is cell locomotion and apoptosis, but they are also found during necrosis and cell division. The life cycle of a bleb comprises an initiation phase followed by the expansion and retraction phases.
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...

Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation

Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation

Cells migrating in response to external stimuli form lamellipodia, which are thin membrane protrusions supported by a mesh of linked, branched, or unbranched actin filaments. These actin filaments interact with myosin motor proteins, creating the dynamic actomyosin complex within the cytoskeleton. Contractility, or the ability to generate contractile stress, is inherent to the actomyosin complex. It helps cells detect the stiffness of the surrounding ECM and exert contractile force for...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Validation of a Wearable Photoplethysmography-Based Sensor for Compensatory Reserve Measurement Monitoring in Simulated Human Hemorrhage.

Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Same author

Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Circulating Net-Derived Chromatin and Nucleosomes in Severe Thermal and Traumatically Injured Patients.

Shock (Augusta, Ga.)·2026

Same author

Endovascular profiles linked to neutrophil activation in children and young adults with long COVID.

Pediatric research·2026

Same author

Nouveau benzo-mimetics of 17R-Resolvin D2 are potent resolution agonists for inflammation.

iScience·2026

Same author

<i>Porphyromonas gingivalis</i> sphingolipids impair neutrophil function and promote bacterial survival.

Journal of oral microbiology·2025

Same author

Monocyte Anisocytosis Can Discriminate Between Sepsis and Sterile Inflammation, but not Mortality, in Critically Ill Surgical/Trauma Patients: A Secondary Prospective Analysis.

Critical care explorations·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 25, 2026

3D Analysis of Multi-cellular Responses to Chemoattractant Gradients

3D Analysis of Multi-cellular Responses to Chemoattractant Gradients

Published on: May 24, 2019

Epithelial cell guidance by self-generated EGF gradients.

Cally Scherber¹, Alexander J Aranyosi, Birte Kulemann

¹Surgical Services and BioMEMS Resource Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.

Integrative Biology : Quantitative Biosciences From Nano to Macro

|February 9, 2012

Summary

Normal and cancer epithelial cells can self-guide migration without external chemical cues. This unexpected finding reveals a new strategy involving epidermal growth factor (EGF) uptake, transport, and chemotaxis (UTC).

More Related Videos

A Gradient-generating Microfluidic Device for Cell Biology

A Gradient-generating Microfluidic Device for Cell Biology

Published on: August 30, 2007

Creating Adhesive and Soluble Gradients for Imaging Cell Migration with Fluorescence Microscopy

Creating Adhesive and Soluble Gradients for Imaging Cell Migration with Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: April 4, 2013

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 25, 2026

3D Analysis of Multi-cellular Responses to Chemoattractant Gradients

3D Analysis of Multi-cellular Responses to Chemoattractant Gradients

Published on: May 24, 2019

A Gradient-generating Microfluidic Device for Cell Biology

A Gradient-generating Microfluidic Device for Cell Biology

Published on: August 30, 2007

Creating Adhesive and Soluble Gradients for Imaging Cell Migration with Fluorescence Microscopy

Creating Adhesive and Soluble Gradients for Imaging Cell Migration with Fluorescence Microscopy

Published on: April 4, 2013

Area of Science:

Cell Biology
Biophysics
Cancer Research

Background:

Epithelial cell migration is crucial for tissue development and cancer invasion.
Migration is typically thought to require pre-existing chemical gradients (chemokines, growth factors).
The role of self-generated cues in epithelial cell guidance remains underexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate epithelial cell migration in the absence of external chemical gradients.
To uncover the mechanisms by which epithelial cells can achieve guided migration independently.
To explore the potential implications for cancer invasion and wound healing.

Main Methods:

Utilized microscale engineering to create microscopic mazes with uniform media concentrations.
Observed migration patterns of both normal and cancer epithelial cells in vitro.
Developed biophysical models to elucidate the underlying guidance strategy.

Main Results:

Epithelial cells (normal and cancer) demonstrated guided migration and shortest-path navigation within mazes lacking pre-existing gradients.
Identified a novel 'UTC' self-guidance strategy: epidermal growth factor (EGF) uptake (U), restricted transport (T), and chemotaxis (C).
This strategy is dependent on EGF-receptor signaling and independent of chemokine signaling.

Conclusions:

Epithelial cells possess an intrinsic self-guidance mechanism ('UTC strategy') under biochemical confinement.
This mechanism relies on the interplay between EGF dynamics and the microenvironment.
Understanding this self-guidance could lead to new therapeutic strategies for cancer and wound healing.