Computational studies of cell migration

An overriding goal in cell motion modeling and simulations is to understand relevant underlying variables which modulate cell motility. Mathematical modeling of cell movement has traditionally focused on migration of population of cells in response to various chemoattractants (e.g., cytokines) with steady state concentration fields. In this paper, we discuss a generic model from an engineering perspective intending to aid in grasping an improved understanding of how the transient affects the mechanism of individual cell locomotion behavior. The cell migration simulations were implemented for a 2D homogenous domain with a stationary point source. Results indicate that transience has an important influence on regulating cell migration behavior. While diffusivity does not influence how fast cells reach the chemoattractant source in case of continuous production, in the case of production in "bursts" of random strength and separated by random time intervals, it becomes a determining factor.