Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Cell Migration01:19

Cell Migration

6.3K
Cell migration is a process by which the cells move from one location to another, playing an essential role in embryological development, repair and regeneration, immune response, and metastasis. Cells migrate in response to chemical or mechanical signals generated by specific organs or tissues. The overall mechanism includes three steps - polarization, protrusion, and release. Polarization involves the formation of a distinct cell front and rear, which determines the direction of movement.
6.3K
Cell Migration01:09

Cell Migration

18.5K
Cell migration, the process by which cells move from one location to another, is essential for the proper development and viability of organisms throughout their life. When cells are not able to migrate properly to their ordained locations, various disorders may occur. For example, disruption in cell migration causes chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.
18.5K
Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation01:31

Mechanism of Lamellipodia Formation

3.5K
Cells migrating in response to external stimuli form lamellipodia, which are thin membrane protrusions supported by a mesh of linked, branched, or unbranched actin filaments. These actin filaments interact with myosin motor proteins, creating the dynamic actomyosin complex within the cytoskeleton. Contractility, or the ability to generate contractile stress, is inherent to the actomyosin complex. It helps cells detect the stiffness of the surrounding ECM and exert contractile force for...
3.5K
Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility01:13

Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility

6.4K
Actin is a family of globular proteins that are highly abundant in eukaryotic cells. It makes up approximately 1-5% of total cell protein concentration. Actin monomers polymerize to form a complex network of polarized filaments, the actin cytoskeleton, that plays a crucial role in many cellular processes, including cell motility, division, endocytosis, and metastasis of cancer cells.
Actin cytoskeleton dynamics can produce pushing, pulling, and resistance forces that help the cell to migrate....
6.4K
Role of Myosin in Cell Migration01:18

Role of Myosin in Cell Migration

3.1K
Myosins are multimeric motor proteins involved in various cellular processes such as migration, adhesion, and proliferation. Myosin II is the most common type in animal cells, which binds and cross-links actin filaments.
Myosin II  is a hexamer comprising two heavy chains with globular heads and coiled-coil tails, two regulatory light chains, and two essential light chains. The ATPase sites on the myosin heads hydrolyze ATP, and the released phosphate generates the force for contraction....
3.1K
Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration01:32

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

5.4K
A migrating cell changes its shape during the cyclic events of attachment and detachment from the substratum and repositions the cell organelles correspondingly. These complex events are orchestrated by the dynamic cytoskeletal network comprising actin filaments, intermediate filaments, and microtubules. Cytoskeletal crosstalk — the direct and indirect communication between the different components — is crucial for this coordination. Direct communication involves various linker...
5.4K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Targeting Cellular Senescence Enhances Post-Burn Wound Healing in Aged Mice.

Shock (Augusta, Ga.)·2026
Same author

Pilot Validation of a Standardized In- and Outpatient Data Collection Tool for Burn Injury Surveillance.

Journal of burn care & research : official publication of the American Burn Association·2026
Same author

Non-clinical pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, and safety evaluation of TAX2, a first-in-class peptide targeting the TSP-1/CD47 matricellular axis.

Toxicology and applied pharmacology·2026
Same author

A Recombinant Elastic Peptide Rescues Elasticity From a Self-Assembled Dermal Sheet Model Treated With Ascorbic Acid.

Experimental dermatology·2026
Same author

Flexible Copper-Based TEM Grid for Microscopic Characterization of Aged Magnetotactic Bacteria MS-1 and Their Magnetosome Crystals in Air-Dried Droplet.

Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)·2026
Same author

Young extracellular vesicles restore burn-induced adipose tissue immunometabolic and mitochondrial function in older mice.

Scientific reports·2025
Same journal

Corrigendum to "Injectable hydrogel-assisted local lipopolysaccharide delivery improves immune checkpoint blockade therapy" [Acta Biomaterialia 2025, 194, 153-168].

Acta biomaterialia·2026
Same journal

Enhanced Antithrombogenic Performance of Microfluidic Oxygenators through Dual Bioactive Surface Modification for an Artificial Placenta System.

Acta biomaterialia·2026
Same journal

Interface engineering to enhance properties of bioprosthetic heart valve materials with polysaccharide nanocomposite-conjugated hydrogels.

Acta biomaterialia·2026
Same journal

Thermoresponsive hydrogel for long-acting delivery of structurally intact and biologically active Fab fragment and monoclonal antibody.

Acta biomaterialia·2026
Same journal

Cell crowding initiates tumor invasion by triggering a nanoscale topography transition of plasma membranes.

Acta biomaterialia·2026
Same journal

Mechanical properties, polymerization, and humidity effects on the egg glue of the Southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula L. (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae).

Acta biomaterialia·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 9, 2026

Control of Cell Adhesion using Hydrogel Patterning Techniques for Applications in Traction Force Microscopy
12:26

Control of Cell Adhesion using Hydrogel Patterning Techniques for Applications in Traction Force Microscopy

Published on: January 29, 2022

6.3K

Surface tension-driven persistence: How hydrogel interfacial properties regulate fibroblast directional migration.

Sara Faour1, Cyrille Vézy2, Régis Déturche2

  • 1Light, nanomaterials, nanotechnologies, UMR CNRS 7076, University of Technology of Troyes, 12 rue Marie Curie, CS 42060, 10004, Troyes cedex, France; Matrice Extracellulaire et Dynamique Cellulaire, UMR CNRS 7369, Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, Campus Moulin de la Housse, BP 1039, 51687, Reims cedex 2, France.

Acta Biomaterialia
|November 29, 2025
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

This study developed a new hydrogel to control surface tension, finding that increased surface tension promotes directional cell migration. This research advances understanding of mechanotransduction in biomaterials.

Keywords:
Cell adhesion and motilityElastocapillarityHydrogelOptical tweezersPersistent migrationSoft matter rheology

More Related Videos

Observing and Quantifying Fibroblast-mediated Fibrin Gel Compaction
10:37

Observing and Quantifying Fibroblast-mediated Fibrin Gel Compaction

Published on: January 16, 2014

6.4K
Quantifying Three-Dimensional Cell Migration Within and Into Granular Hydrogel Biomaterials
08:53

Quantifying Three-Dimensional Cell Migration Within and Into Granular Hydrogel Biomaterials

Published on: March 7, 2025

1.1K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jan 9, 2026

Control of Cell Adhesion using Hydrogel Patterning Techniques for Applications in Traction Force Microscopy
12:26

Control of Cell Adhesion using Hydrogel Patterning Techniques for Applications in Traction Force Microscopy

Published on: January 29, 2022

6.3K
Observing and Quantifying Fibroblast-mediated Fibrin Gel Compaction
10:37

Observing and Quantifying Fibroblast-mediated Fibrin Gel Compaction

Published on: January 16, 2014

6.4K
Quantifying Three-Dimensional Cell Migration Within and Into Granular Hydrogel Biomaterials
08:53

Quantifying Three-Dimensional Cell Migration Within and Into Granular Hydrogel Biomaterials

Published on: March 7, 2025

1.1K

Area of Science:

  • Biomaterials Science
  • Mechanobiology
  • Polymer Chemistry

Background:

  • Bulk matrix stiffness significantly influences cellular responses, but interfacial properties like surface tension are less understood.
  • Surface tension (σ) in soft materials can dictate bulk mechanics and regulate cellular behavior via elastocapillarity.
  • Mechanotransduction research has largely overlooked the impact of interfacial mechanical properties.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To develop a novel polymer-based hydrogel for precise control over surface tension (σ) in biomaterials.
  • To investigate the role of tunable surface tension in cellular responses, specifically fibroblast migration.
  • To establish a new platform for studying mechanotransduction influenced by interfacial properties.

Main Methods:

  • A new hydrogel was synthesized using polyethylene glycol (PEG) and poly-L-lysine dendrigrafts (DGL), with the DGL/PEG ratio controlling mechanical properties.
  • Optical tweezers were employed for active microrheology and surface micro-indentation to characterize elastic modulus and surface tension.
  • Fibroblast migration was analyzed using epi-fluorescence imaging and a "stick-slip" model to track cell trajectories and dynamics.

Main Results:

  • The developed hydrogel allowed fine control over surface tension (σ) by adjusting the DGL/PEG ratio.
  • Optical tweezers successfully measured both elastic modulus and surface tension of the hydrogel.
  • Fibroblast migration exhibited increased directional persistence on hydrogels with higher surface tension.

Conclusions:

  • The study successfully developed a tunable hydrogel for controlling surface tension in biomaterials.
  • Surface tension is a critical factor in mechanotransduction, influencing cell migration dynamics.
  • This work provides new insights into cell-material interactions mediated by interfacial mechanics.