Abstract
Cell migration is essential for morphogenesis, wound healing and immune response and plays a major role in cancer invasion during metastasis. Considerable progress has been achieved in identifying many of the molecular pathways that control cell migration. However, despite increasing evidence that cells can respond to their mechanical environment during their migration, the role of mechanical cues in cell migration in vivo remains largely unexplored. By combining expertise in biomechanics (Charras) and in vivo cell migration (Mayor), we have recently uncovered a novel role for mechanical stiffness in regulating the onset of cell migration of a highly motile embryonic cell type (the neural crest). This multi-discipliniray project will build on these findings to further investigate the role of tissue mechanics in cell migration in vivo. It does so through training in a number of molecular, cellular and biomechanical approaches applied both in vitro and in vivo, during development.
References
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