Chemotaxis with tomography

TL;DR

This paper investigates how topographical obstacles influence cell chemotaxis by modifying the Keller-Segel model to include spatially dependent chemotactic coefficients, revealing their role in preventing cell concentration blow-up.

Contribution

It introduces a modified Keller-Segel model with spatially dependent chemotactic coefficients to analyze the combined effects of topography and chemical gradients on cell migration.

Findings

Spatially dependent chemotactic coefficient prevents blow-up.

Topography significantly affects cell migratory behavior.

Modified model offers new insights into cell navigation mechanisms.

Abstract

Cells encounter a diverse array of physical and chemical signals as they navigate their natural surroundings. However, their response to the simultaneous presence of multiple cues remains elusive. Particularly, the impact of topography alongside a chemotactic gradient on cell migratory behavior remains insufficiently explored. In this paper, we investigate the effects of topographical obstacles during chemotaxis. Our approach involves modifying the Keller-Segel model, incorporating a spatially dependent coefficient of chemotaxis. Through our analysis, we demonstrate that this coefficient plays a crucial role in preventing blow-up phenomena in cell concentration.