How Do Cells Make Decisions: Engineering Micro- and Nanoenvironments for Cell Migration

Figure 1

Cell migration. Responding to extracellular cues such as chemoattractant gradients or adherent cues (a), the migrating cell changes its morphology and intracellular organization. Polarised cells have a fan-shaped protrusion at the leading edge and traction at the rear. Chemoattractant receptors (b) and integrins (c), forming focal adhesions, localise to the leading edge of the cell. The microtubule organising centre (MTOC) (d) and the Golgi locate to the side of the nucleus that faces the leading edge.