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Going your own way: Self-guidance mechanisms in cell migration
1Department of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
Current Opinion in Cell Biology
|August 17, 2021
Summary
Cell migration, crucial for biology and medicine, is not solely guided by external cues. Discover how cells generate their own directional information through self-guidance mechanisms for adaptive movement.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Biomedical Science
Background:
- Cell and tissue migration is fundamental to biological processes and disease.
- Traditional understanding posits migration is controlled by external guidance cues.
- Recent findings reveal intrinsic cellular mechanisms influencing migratory paths.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the concept of cell 'self-guidance' in migration.
- To explore how migrating cells generate their own directional information.
- To discuss the interplay of intrinsic and extrinsic regulators in cell movement.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent studies on cell migration mechanisms.
- Analysis of self-guidance phenomena across different scales.
- Discussion of regulatory networks involved in cell polarization and movement.
Main Results:
- Cells possess sophisticated self-guidance mechanisms, challenging the external cue paradigm.
- Directional information is actively generated by migrating cells.
- A dynamic interplay of cell-intrinsic and -extrinsic factors governs self-guidance.
Conclusions:
- Self-guidance mechanisms allow cells greater control over their migratory paths.
- These mechanisms enable rapid adaptation to diverse environmental challenges.
- Understanding self-guidance is crucial for advancing cell migration research and therapeutic strategies.
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