Cell migration in confined environments

Cells migrate in many biological processes, from embryonic development to cancer metastasis, and often must do so through a crowded environment. To examine how physical obstacles affect cell migration, we have developed a phase field model of a motile, protrusion-forming cell. In this model cellular protrusions emerge from the interplay of cell’s membrane tension and actomyosin dynamics, which is described via a noisy polar field that drives the cell’s motility. We find that the migration speed of cells moving through rough narrow channels is regulated by the cellular tension and the level of noise in the polarization field, with an optimal tension for migration controlled by the mean obstacle spacing. We also incorporate a simple chemotactic effect to study the interplay of chemical and physical guidance cues. Motivated by the collective migration of border cells in the ovary of Drosophila, we generalize our model to consider a small group of cells in which a leader at the front of the cluster guides the migration. We find that the ability of the group to successfully migrate through the egg is also controlled by cellular tension.