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Published on: October 13, 2019
Cell phenotype phase separation in epithelial-mesenchymal transition-mediated collective cell migration
Weihao Sun1, Rui Xue1, Ruiyang Pang1
1School of Mechanics and Engineering Science, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.
Acta Biomaterialia
|July 16, 2026
Summary
Cell phenotype phase separation (CPPS) drives collective cell migration during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). This process, influenced by EMT degree and cytoskeletal inhibition, is key to understanding cell organization in development and cancer.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Biophysics
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Collective cell migration is vital for embryonic development, wound healing, and cancer metastasis.
- The spatiotemporal dynamics of epithelial and mesenchymal cell migration are not fully understood.
- Phenotypic heterogeneity within cell populations influences collective behaviors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cell phenotype phase separation (CPPS) during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT)-mediated collective migration.
- To elucidate the biophysical mechanisms underlying CPPS in confined microenvironments.
- To develop a model that quantitatively describes EMT-regulated collective cell migration.
Main Methods:
- Utilized micropatterned substrates and live-cell tracking to observe cell behavior.
- Investigated the correlation between CPPS, EMT progression, and cytoskeletal inhibition.
- Developed a reaction-diffusion model incorporating a boundary attraction potential (BAP).
Main Results:
- Observed EMT-modulated CPPS in spatially confined microenvironments.
- Mesenchymal cells showed enhanced boundary-directed colonization in a phenotype-dependent manner.
- The CPPS process was found to correlate with the degree of EMT and cytoskeletal inhibition.
- The reaction-diffusion model successfully captured the spatiotemporal evolution of EMT-related collective migration.
Conclusions:
- Phenotypic heterogeneity is a major determinant of phase separation in collective cell migration.
- CPPS provides a new perspective for dissecting EMT-regulated intratumoral phenotypic heterogeneity.
- The findings suggest CPPS as a potential target for therapeutic intervention and drug screening in cancer.
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