Self-organized cell migration across scales - from single cell movement to tissue formation

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Biophysics

Background:

• Cell migration traditionally viewed as a response to external signals.
• Recent advances emphasize intrinsic self-organizing properties in cell movement.
• Self-organization is crucial for various biological and developmental processes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review self-organizing mechanisms underlying cell migration.
• To explore principles guiding single and collective cell migration.
• To discuss implications for biological and medical research.

Main Methods:

• Review of in vitro and in vivo studies on cell migration.
• Discussion of theoretical concepts in cell self-organization.
• Analysis of autonomous cell collective formation.

Main Results:

• Self-organization is fundamental for persistent single-cell migration without external cues.
• Intrinsic mechanisms drive the formation of autonomous cell collectives for coordinated migration.
• Self-organizing principles apply to cell migration across multiple scales.

Conclusions:

• Self-organization plays a pivotal role in directing cell migration.
• Understanding these principles offers insights into development and disease.
• This review synthesizes current knowledge on self-organizing cell migration.