Proceedings

EPJ E Highlight - Cells move as concentration shifts

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Schematic representation of a top-view of the cell containing the colony.

Sheets of biological cells move along the organs they cover by altering the external concentrations of specific molecules, thanks to an absorption mechanism on the cells’ surface

What do wound healing, cancer metastasis, and bacteria colonies have in common? They all involve the collective displacement of biological cells. New research sheds some new light on the physical mechanisms provoking the displacement of a sheet of cell, known as an epithelium. It typically covers our organs including the stomach and intestine, as well as our epidermis. In a paper which appeared in EPJ E, Martine Ben Amar from Pierre and Marie Curie University in Paris explains the importance of understanding the displacement of the epithelium as a means of influencing the biological process involved in healing. And, ultimately, of helping to minimise scars.

In this study, Ben Amar aims at developing a predictive theoretical physics model based on calculations designed to account for experimental observations.

Her model focuses on particular types of displacement, which are due to molecules— referred to as morphogens—that the cells can feel. In fact, cells are sensitive to their concentration and are therefore attracted in their direction in a process called chemotaxis. Cells can also absorb these molecules at their surface as a means of modifying their concentration and therefore their displacement. In addition, the model takes into account physical parameters such as the substrate friction and the cohesion of the overall tissue.

Ben Amar found that her theory could be applied to better understand the irregularities found at the boundaries of the sheets, which are a signature of the collective behaviour of these cells, previously observed in recent in vitro biophysics experiments. Such irregularities could influence the quality of the future scar. This is important for the quality of vision in the case of cornea scars, and for a possible improvement in the bio-engineering of artificial tissues.

Chemotaxis migration and morphogenesis of living colonies. M. Ben Amar (2013), European Physical Journal E 36: 64, DOI 10.1140/epje/i2013-13064-5

This was our first experience of publishing with EPJ Web of Conferences. We contacted the publisher in the middle of September, just one month prior to the Conference, but everything went through smoothly. We have had published MNPS Proceedings with different publishers in the past, and would like to tell that the EPJ Web of Conferences team was probably the best, very quick, helpful and interactive. Typically, we were getting responses from EPJ Web of Conferences team within less than an hour and have had help at every production stage.
We are very thankful to Solange Guenot, Web of Conferences Publishing Editor, and Isabelle Houlbert, Web of Conferences Production Editor, for their support. These ladies are top-level professionals, who made a great contribution to the success of this issue. We are fully satisfied with the publication of the Conference Proceedings and are looking forward to further cooperation. The publication was very fast, easy and of high quality. My colleagues and I strongly recommend EPJ Web of Conferences to anyone, who is interested in quick high-quality publication of conference proceedings.

On behalf of the Organizing and Program Committees and Editorial Team of MNPS-2019, Dr. Alexey B. Nadykto, Moscow State Technological University “STANKIN”, Moscow, Russia. EPJ Web of Conferences vol. 224 (2019)

ISSN: 2100-014X (Electronic Edition)

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