Speaker
Description
In this talk, I present a multiscale model for cell migration in fibrous extracellular matrix (ECM) structures. The microscopic dynamics account not only for the classical mechanism of contact guidance, but also for cell morphodynamics in response to the surrounding fibrous environment. Different migration modes and morphological adaptations are considered, together with their interplay. In particular, we recover key experimental observations concerning amoeboid versus mesenchymal morphologies and their dependence on the underlying fiber organization.
By deriving kinetic (mesoscopic) models, we gain insight into the aggregate statistical behavior of cells. This provides a consistent framework for the formulation of macroscopic models describing the evolution of cell number density, in which contact guidance dynamics are modulated by cell morphology and internal states.
We further discuss the role of morphology and polarization dynamics in determining cell persistence, and analyze how these factors influence migration patterns in spatially heterogeneous environments composed of unpolarized fibers, highlighting their impact on large-scale cell behavior and emergent transport properties, as observed, for example, in carcinoma cell invasion into aligned collagen matrices.
