A railroad of cells
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1048478
By INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AUSTRIA
Cells move like trains, navigating through complex environments and interacting with each other. Researchers from the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) and the University of Mons in Belgium have observed how these cells travel in groups, much like trains on tracks. Using a Petri dish, they discovered that special wound-healing cells, called keratocytes, stick together initially, then break off and form small groups. These groups move forward like trains, with each cell aligned and in sync.
To understand this behavior, scientists developed a mathematical model combining cell polarity, interactions, and their surroundings. They found that the speed of these cell trains is independent of their length and that clusters of cells, though slower, can navigate complex terrain more effectively. This new model helps decode cell interactions and could provide insights into larger-scale movements in tissues.