#6 · Systems biology

Adhesion and edge kinematics couple cytoskeletal mechanics to cell migration

The common thread is mechanical coupling between cytoskeletal force generation and cell-scale behaviour. In the glioblastoma study, a mechanical polarity descriptor and a catch/slip-bond model relate adhesion kinetics to directional stability of migration on ECM substrates. The hypotonic swelling preprint attributes a transient traction-force drop to a kinematically dominated regime in which cytoskeletal mechanics govern edge velocity. A third preprint applies a multiphysics finite-element framework to intestinal healing, coupling fibroblast reaction-diffusion, collagen remodeling and scar contraction to sutureless surgical strategy. What is new is the joint treatment of adhesion, edge kinematics and polarity as determinants of migratory behaviour. These items do not present one integrated model, so the coupling is inferred across studies rather than demonstrated within a single framework.