Biomechanics of Collective Cell Migration in Cancer Progression -- Experimental and Computational Methods

TL;DR

This paper reviews recent experimental and computational methods used to study the biomechanics of collective cell migration in cancer, highlighting key mechanisms and future research directions.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of current tools and hypotheses for understanding the biomechanical basis of collective cell migration in cancer progression.

Findings

Summarizes experimental techniques for studying cell biomechanics.

Reviews computational models of collective migration.

Highlights hypotheses on mechanical cues influencing migration.

Abstract

Cell migration is essential for regulating many biological processes in physiological or pathological conditions, including embryonic development and cancer invasion. In vitro and in silico studies suggest that collective cell migration is associated with some biomechanical particularities, such as restructuring of extracellular matrix, stress and force distribution profiles, and reorganization of cytoskeleton. Therefore, the phenomenon could be understood by an in-depth study of cells' behavior determinants, including but not limited to mechanical cues from the environment and from fellow travelers. This review article aims to cover the recent development of experimental and computational methods for studying the biomechanics of collective cell migration during cancer progression and invasion. We also summarized the tested hypotheses regarding the mechanism underlying collective cell migration enabled by these methods. Together, the paper enables a broad overview on the methods and tools currently available to unravel the biophysical mechanisms pertinent to cell collective migration, as well as providing perspectives on future development towards eventually deciphering the key mechanisms behind the most lethal feature of cancer.