Quantitative Analysis of Collective Migration by Single-Cell Tracking Aimed at Understanding Cancer Metastasis

Metastasis is a major complication of cancer treatments. Studies of the migratory behavior of cells are needed to investigate and control metastasis. Metastasis is based on the epithelial-mesenchymal transition, in which epithelial cells acquire mesenchymal properties and the ability to leave the population to invade other regions of the body. In collective migration, highly migratory "leader" cells are found at the front of the cell population, as well as cells that "follow" these leader cells. However, the interactions between these cells are not well understood. We examined the migration properties of leader-follower cells during collective migration at the single-cell level. Different mixed ratios of "leader" and "follower" cell populations were compared. Collective migration was quantitatively analyzed from two perspectives: cell migration within the colony and migration of the entire colony. Analysis of the effect of the cell mixing ratio on migration behavior showed that a small number of highly migratory cells enhanced some of the migratory properties of other cells. The results provide useful insights into the cellular interactions in collective cell migration of cancer cell invasion.