Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37680491›Full record

ArticlePNAS nexus2023

Physical forces guide curvature sensing and cell migration mode bifurcating.

Luyi Feng, Tiankai Zhao, Hongmei Xu, Xuechen Shi, Changhao Li, K Jimmy Hsia, Sulin Zhang

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PNAS nexus, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 22% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Physical models of embryonic epithelial healing.PLoS computational biology · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Luyi FengDepartment of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Tiankai ZhaoDepartment of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Hongmei XuSchool of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2372-0783
Xuechen ShiDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Changhao LiDepartment of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
K Jimmy HsiaSchool of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798, Singapore.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3065-3769
Sulin ZhangDepartment of Engineering Science and Mechanics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Pennsylvania State University · USNanyang Technological University · SG

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The ability of cells to sense and adapt to curvy topographical features has been implicated in organ morphogenesis, tissue repair, and tumor metastasis. However, how individual cells or multicellular assemblies sense and differentiate curvatures remains elusive. Here, we reveal a curvature sensing mechanism in which surface tension can selectively activate either actin or integrin flows, leading to bifurcating cell migration modes: focal adhesion formation that enables cell crawling at convex front edges and actin cable assembly that pulls cells forward at concave front edges. The molecular flows and curved front morphogenesis are sustained by coordinated cellular tension generation and transmission. We track the molecular flows and mechanical force transduction pathways by a phase-field model, which predicts that multicellular curvature sensing is more efficient than individual cells, suggesting collective intelligence of cells. The unique ability of cells in curvature sensing and migration mode bifurcating may offer insights into emergent collective patterns and functions of living active systems at different length scales.

Indexed as

cell migrationmolecular flowphase-field modelingsurface tension

Identifiers

PMID37680491
PMCPMC10482382
OpenAlexW4385443969

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.