Measurement of cellular traction forces during confined migration.

ABSTRACT: To migrate efficiently through tissues, cells must transit through small constrictions within the extracellular matrix. However, in vivo environments are geometrically, mechanically, and chemically complex, and it has been difficult to understand how each of these parameters contribute to the propulsive strategy utilized by cells in different confining environments. To address this, we employed a sacrificial micromolding approach to generate polymer substrates with tunable stiffness, controlled adhesivity, and user-defined microscale geometries. We combined this together with live-cell imaging and three-dimensional traction force microscopy to quantify the forces that cells use to transit through constricting channels. Surprisingly, rather than enlarging the constriction via pushing forces

SUBMITTER: Hockenberry MA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12685105 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature