Mechanisms of Cell Migration

How do cells move around? What machinery is used and how does it work? How does this machinery malfunction in cancer metastasis? Cell motility is crucial for embryonic development, wound healing and defense against pathogens while metastasis, the most devastating aspect of cancer, is associated with misregulated motility. Cell motion involves forward pushing against the leading edge plasma membrane by actin polymerization, adhesion of the protrusion to the extracellular matrix and forward pulling of the cell body. We study the underlying mechanisms to understand how the cell coordinates these processes to sense the mechanical properties of its surroundings and generate traction. Spatiotemporal traction patterns are of particular interest and novel nanofabricated substrates are being developed to measure cell-generated forces at submicron resolution and compare with model predictions.