Ratchetaxis: Long-Range Directed Cell Migration by Local Cues.

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Biophysics
• Mechanobiology

Background:

• Directed cell migration is crucial for development and disease.
• Traditionally, long-range chemical or physical gradients are thought to guide cell movement.
• In vivo, such gradients are not consistently observed, prompting a search for alternative guidance mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review in vitro experiments demonstrating alternative spatial guidance cues for cell motility.
• To explore how local environmental anisotropies can bias cell migration.
• To integrate experimental findings with modeling to understand cell motility.

Main Methods:

• Review of in vitro experimental studies on cell migration.
• Analysis of experiments using local geometrical cues (e.g., microratchets) and mechanical cues (e.g., tilted micropillars).
• Integration of computational modeling approaches.

Main Results:

• Local geometrical and mechanical anisotropies in the cell environment can effectively direct cell motion.
• Periodic external cues can bias cell motility.
• Cell motility can be modeled as a stochastic process influenced by local cues.

Conclusions:

• Cell migration is not solely dependent on long-range gradients.
• Local spatial cues, both geometric and mechanical, can provide robust directional guidance.
• A stochastic model of cell motility biased by local cues offers a new perspective on directed cell movement.