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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...

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Updated: Jan 5, 2026

Traction Microscopy Integrated with Microfluidics for Chemotactic Collective Migration

Traction Microscopy Integrated with Microfluidics for Chemotactic Collective Migration

Published on: October 13, 2019

Traction Microscopy Integrated with Microfluidics for Chemotactic Collective Migration.

Hwanseok Jang¹, Jongseong Kim¹, Jennifer H Shin²

¹Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University.

Journal of Visualized Experiments : Jove

|October 29, 2019

Summary

This study introduces a new microfluidic system to observe how chemical gradients affect collective cell migration. It reveals that cells move faster towards higher chemical concentrations, with reduced stress between cells.

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Last Updated: Jan 5, 2026

Traction Microscopy Integrated with Microfluidics for Chemotactic Collective Migration

Traction Microscopy Integrated with Microfluidics for Chemotactic Collective Migration

Published on: October 13, 2019

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Published on: February 21, 2014

Area of Science:

Cellular biology
Biophysics
Microfluidics

Background:

Cell migration is crucial for biological processes like development and disease.
Chemotaxis, directed cell movement along chemical gradients, is vital but challenging to study in collectives in vitro.
Existing experimental methods are limited for observing collective cell chemotaxis.

Purpose of the Study:

To develop a novel experimental system for studying collective cell migration under chemical gradients.
To investigate the mechanical forces involved in collective cell chemotaxis.
To provide a platform for understanding in vivo cell behaviors.

Main Methods:

Integration of microfluidics and micropatterning to create controlled chemical gradients.
Application of traction microscopy and monolayer stress microscopy to measure cellular forces.
Utilizing micropatterned Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cell islands exposed to hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) gradients.

Main Results:

Cells within an island exhibited faster migration towards higher concentrations of HGF.
Cellular traction forces were uniform across the island despite the gradient.
Intercellular stress was significantly lower on the side of the island facing higher HGF concentration.

Conclusions:

The developed system effectively demonstrates the impact of chemical gradients on collective cell migration.
Chemotaxis influences migration speed and intercellular mechanics in cell collectives.
This platform offers new avenues for studying the biophysics of chemotaxis in multicellular systems.