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A phenomenological multiscale framework for orientational interactions and viscoelasticity in migrating epithelial
Ivana Pajic-Lijakovic1, Milan Milivojevic2, Peter V E McClintock3
1University of Belgrade, Faculty of Technology and Metallurgy, Department of Chemical Engineering, Belgrade, Serbia; Department of Physics, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YB, UK.
Bio Systems
|July 9, 2026
Summary
Cellular interactions in epithelial monolayers involve energy storage and dissipation, influencing collective migration and tissue mechanics. Density changes shift this balance, impacting cell jamming and viscoelasticity.
Area of Science:
- Mechanobiology
- Biophysics
- Cellular dynamics
Background:
- Collective cell migration is vital for tissue development and repair.
- It arises from complex mechanical and biochemical interactions at the cellular level.
- Understanding these interactions is key to deciphering tissue-scale behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a mechanobiological framework linking microscopic cell interactions to macroscopic tissue mechanics.
- To differentiate between reversible and irreversible cell-cell interactions and their energetic consequences.
- To investigate how these interactions influence collective migration, cell jamming, and epithelial viscoelasticity.
Main Methods:
- Developed a phenomenological mechanobiological model.
- Distinguished between reversible and irreversible head-on and glancing cell interactions.
- Quantified energy storage and dissipation using orientational potentials and virial coefficients.
- Analyzed density-dependent effects on migration and rheology.
Main Results:
- Reversible interactions store orientational energy, preserving collision angles.
- Irreversible interactions dissipate energy, altering collision angles.
- Increasing cell density shifts the balance from energy storage to dissipation.
- These energy dynamics significantly influence epithelial surface tension, viscoelasticity, and migration efficiency.
Conclusions:
- The framework connects cell-scale dynamics to tissue-scale rheology.
- Collision-induced energy storage and dissipation are critical for collective migration mechanics.
- Density-dependent interaction regimes modulate epithelial viscoelastic response.
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