Trobada: Migrating Flocks of Cancer Cells

por Dr. Gema Malet (IFOM, Milano)

viernes 12 feb. 2016 12:00 → 13:00 Europe/Madrid

1001-Primera-1-1-1 - Paterna. Seminario (Universe)

Collective migration of cohesive groups of cells is a basic biological process that governs morphogenesis, regeneration and solid cancer invasion. We show in vitro by real-time microscopy that compact clusters of tumor B cells display a wider chemotactic sensitivity to CCL19 than individual cells allowing them to migrate more efficiently. The cluster behaves as a "super-cell" of much larger size, thereby having higher sensitivity to weaker chemoattractant gradients. Cell cluster motility statistics were recapitulated in a mathematical model indicating that cohesive clusters result in reduced noise and enhanced directionality compared to single cells. Computer-assisted tracking of intra-cluster cell motility confirmed our model by showing sustained directional alignment of the cells composing a motile cluster. It also revealed that directional and cohesive migration involved cluster rotations allowing a recycling of the cells positioned at the front of migration. Thus, using a model of tumor B cells, we show that collective strategy endows cells with increased chemotactic sensitivity and resistance to motogenic receptor deactivation that may be determinant in the context of tissue homing and dissemination.