Contact guidance

Contact guidance is a biological phenomenon where cells move or grow in response to the physical features of their environment. This process is crucial in various biological processes, including cell migration, tissue engineering, and cancer metastasis.

Overview

Contact guidance was first observed in the early 20th century when researchers noticed that fibroblasts, a type of cell involved in wound healing, tend to align themselves along the lines of tension in a wound. This observation led to the discovery that cells can sense and respond to physical cues in their environment, a process now known as contact guidance.

Mechanism

The exact mechanism of contact guidance is still a subject of ongoing research. However, it is generally believed that cells sense physical cues in their environment through a process called mechanotransduction. In mechanotransduction, mechanical signals are converted into biochemical signals, which then influence cell behavior.

One of the key players in contact guidance is the cytoskeleton, a network of protein filaments that gives the cell its shape and helps it move. When a cell encounters a physical cue, such as a groove or ridge, the cytoskeleton rearranges itself to align with the cue. This alignment then influences the direction of cell movement or growth.

Role in Disease

Contact guidance plays a significant role in the spread of cancer, a process known as cancer metastasis. Cancer cells can use contact guidance to navigate through the complex physical environment of the body and reach distant organs. Understanding the mechanisms of contact guidance could therefore lead to new strategies for preventing or treating cancer metastasis.

See Also

• Cell migration
• Mechanotransduction
• Cancer metastasis