Modelling physical limits of migration by a kinetic model with non-local sensing

TL;DR

This paper extends a kinetic model of cell migration to account for variable sensing radii influenced by environmental barriers, analyzing how sensing limitations affect migration dynamics through macroscopic limits and numerical simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a position-, direction-, and time-dependent sensing radius into a kinetic migration model, capturing more realistic cell sensing behavior near physical barriers.

Findings

Sensing radius variability impacts migration patterns.

Macroscopic limits reveal effects of environmental barriers.

Numerical simulations demonstrate altered cell movement dynamics.

Abstract

Migrating cells choose their preferential direction of motion in response to different signals and stimuli sensed by spanning their external environment. However, the presence of dense fibrous regions, lack of proper substrate, and cell overcrowding may hamper cells from moving in certain directions or even from sensing beyond regions that practically act like physical barriers. We extend the non-local kinetic model proposed by Loy and Preziosi (2019) to include situations in which the sensing radius is not constant, but depends on position, sensing direction and time as cells' behavior might be determined on the basis of information collected before reaching physically limiting configurations. We analyze how the actual possible sensing of the environment influences the dynamics by recovering the appropriate macroscopic limits and by integrating numerically the kinetic transport equation.