Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 2, 2026
10:53
Traction Microscopy Integrated with Microfluidics for Chemotactic Collective Migration
Published on: October 13, 2019
6.0K
Galvanotactic control of collective cell migration in epithelial monolayers
Daniel J Cohen1, W James Nelson2, Michel M Maharbiz3
1Joint Graduate Program in Bioengineering, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
Nature Materials
|March 11, 2014
Summary
Scientists can now guide epithelial cell sheet migration using electric fields. This breakthrough allows for precise control over collective cell movement, offering new possibilities for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Area of Science:
- Cell biology
- Biophysics
- Tissue engineering
Background:
- Epithelial cell sheet migration is crucial for biological processes.
- Cell migration arises from complex interactions between signaling networks and physical forces.
Purpose of the Study:
- To demonstrate interactive guidance of epithelial collective migration using electric fields.
- To investigate the epithelium's response to spatiotemporal cues from electric fields.
Main Methods:
- Applying electric fields to bias cellular signaling networks.
- Observing and analyzing collective cell migration responses.
- Investigating the influence of population size, shape, and cell coupling.
Main Results:
- Electric fields can guide collective epithelial cell migration.
- Epithelia exhibit rapid, coordinated responses like U-turns and divergent migration.
- Migration control is dependent on cell population characteristics and physical coupling.
Conclusions:
- Electric fields offer a method for interactive control of epithelial cell migration.
- This research provides principles for manipulating tissue behavior and material properties.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Chemotaxis and Direction of Cell Migration
5.0K
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...
5.0K
01:19Cell Migration
6.1K
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.
6.1K
01:09Cell Migration
16.6K
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.
16.6K
01:32Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration
4.9K
A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker...
4.9K
01:13Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility
5.8K
Actin is a family of globular proteins that are highly abundant in eukaryotic cells. It makes up approximately 1-5% of total cell protein concentration. Actin monomers polymerize to form a complex network of polarized filaments, the actin cytoskeleton, that plays a crucial role in many cellular processes, including cell motility, division, endocytosis, and metastasis of cancer cells.
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics can produce pushing, pulling, and resistance forces that help the cell to migrate....
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics can produce pushing, pulling, and resistance forces that help the cell to migrate....
5.8K
01:16Cell Motility through Blebbing
1.9K
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...
Blebbing Through the Matrix
In multicellular...
1.9K