The traffic rules of the cells

Abstract

Movement is essential for life. Cells, as the fundamental units of living organisms possess the ability to move. This cellular movement, known as cellular locomotion, is observed in both unicellular and multicellular organisms. Cellular locomotion, is not only crucial for individual survival of cells but it is also necessary for the coordinated functioning of entire organisms. Migration is a specific type of cellular locomotion that occurs in a given biological context, typically directed towards a target or guided by specific signals to a particular destination. In humans, cell migration is a natural and a vital process during organogenesis and embryonic development. It plays a key role in tissue repair responses, including wound healing and angiogenesis. The functioning of the immune system heavily relies on cell migration. In cancer, however, this natural mechanism becomes deregulated. Tumor cells acquire the ability to migrate, but instead of doing so to fulfill normal functions, they move in a disordered and invasive manner (process known as metastasis). While cell migration is a vital process for life, its disruption becomes a double-edged sword that tumor cells exploit to move uncontrollably and colonize healthy tissue.