Cell migration (cell motility) is fundamental for the functioning of the human body. It is crucial for tissue formation and maintenance and is needed for wound healing. Cell migration is also essential for tumour invasion and metastasis during carcinogenesis. The underlying processes for cell migration are poorly understood at the mechanistic and regulatory level because of its complexity involving multiple cellular systems that are regulated through genetic, physical and biochemical signals. Yet, an integrated view is urgently needed for predicting and manipulating cell migration as a pivotal process in both health and disease. This knowledge is expected to open new avenues for the diagnosis of human diseases, their treatment and in regenerative medicine.
To reach this goal, concerted interdisciplinary approaches were pursued involving experimentalists competent in different techniques and theoreticians with expertise in analysing multimodal experimental datasets and integrating them into multi-scale models. InCeM achieved this by bringing together these experts and training a new generation of researchers. InCeM developed and used novel devices for multimodal and multidimensional recording techniques of subcellular processes, extracted quantitative data from these recordings and measurements, and integrated large datasets into mechanistic mathematical models. These models were validated experimentally and can be used for tuning cell migration in vitro and in vivo to benefit tumour patients and the millions of patients suffering from chronic wounds.
