A brief overview on mechanosensing and stick-slip motion at the leading edge of migrating cells

Cell migration is a highly dynamic and complex process that is crucial for executing many cellular behaviors and functions such as wound healing, morphogenesis, embryonic development, and tissue regeneration, to name a few. Here we provide a brief overview of the theoretical models focussing on the leading edge dynamics during the migration of cells. Besides, we also highlight the role of substrate mechanical properties, namely substrate elasticity and viscosity, in determining the cellular response in migration and spreading. In addition, we briefly discuss our theoretical model that elucidates the emergence of stick-slip motion during the crawling of cells on viscoelastic substrates. We further compare how the stick-slip dynamics are influenced by the force-dependent nature of the adhesion bonds dissociation pathways displaying catch versus slip behaviors.