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Cell Migration

Cell Migration

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.

Cell Migration

Cell Migration

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.

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 towards...

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

Cytoskeletal Coordination in Cell Migration

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 proteins that...

Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility

Actin Polymerization and Cell Motility

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.

Role of Myosin in Cell Migration

Role of Myosin in Cell Migration

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.
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2026

Concentric Gel System to Study the Biophysical Role of Matrix Microenvironment on 3D Cell Migration

Concentric Gel System to Study the Biophysical Role of Matrix Microenvironment on 3D Cell Migration

Published on: April 3, 2015

Computational models in directed cell migration.

Pablo Sáez^1,2

¹Laboratori de Cacúl Numéric (LaCáN), Universitat Politécnica de Catalunya-BarcelonaTech., Barcelona, Spain.

Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology

|May 25, 2026

Summary

Cells navigate using chemical signals (chemotaxis) and physical cues like stiffness and electric fields. Understanding how cells integrate these diverse signals is crucial for modeling cell migration in complex biological systems.

Keywords:

cell migration modeling cell polarity directed cell migration durotaxis electrotaxis

More Related Videos

Quantitative Analysis of Random Migration of Cells Using Time-lapse Video Microscopy

Quantitative Analysis of Random Migration of Cells Using Time-lapse Video Microscopy

Published on: May 13, 2012

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 26, 2026

Concentric Gel System to Study the Biophysical Role of Matrix Microenvironment on 3D Cell Migration

Concentric Gel System to Study the Biophysical Role of Matrix Microenvironment on 3D Cell Migration

Published on: April 3, 2015

Quantitative Analysis of Random Migration of Cells Using Time-lapse Video Microscopy

Quantitative Analysis of Random Migration of Cells Using Time-lapse Video Microscopy

Published on: May 13, 2012

Area of Science:

Biophysics
Cell Biology
Systems Biology

Background:

Directed cell migration is vital for development, immunity, and disease.
Cells respond to chemical (chemotaxis) and physical cues (e.g., stiffness gradients, electric fields).
Current understanding of how cells integrate multiple guidance signals remains limited.

Purpose of the Study:

To review and synthesize current knowledge on directed cell migration, encompassing both chemical and physical cues.
To highlight common mechanistic themes and discuss recent biophysical and computational models.
To identify gaps in experimental and theoretical frameworks for cell migration.

Main Methods:

Literature review and synthesis of existing research on cell migration.
Discussion of biophysical and computational models of directed cell migration.
Analysis of experimental advances in controlling physical cues for cell migration studies.

Main Results:

Cells integrate diverse chemical and physical signals for directed migration.
Models increasingly capture migration as an emergent property of force generation, adhesion, and polarity.
Significant experimental and theoretical gaps persist in understanding multimodality taxis.

Conclusions:

Integrated, multiscale modeling is essential for predictive theories of cell migration.
Bridging experimental observations with theoretical frameworks is key to advancing the field.
A comprehensive understanding of cell migration requires considering the interplay of multiple environmental cues.