UC Riverside Undergraduate Research Journal

 The dynamics of epithelial cells during wound healing exhibit significant complexity, notably in their size-dependent behavior. This work aims to depict a fundamental mechanism underlying this size dependence in cellular dynamics by developing a computational model. Our research question investigates how the physical size of epithelial cells influences their motility and behavior patterns, specifically during the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition critical for wound healing. Thus, we propose a model where the key mechanism involves a field of spatially coupled forces acting on the cell membrane, driven by the dynamics of actin monomers. These monomers, randomly distributed within the cell, become focal points for membrane protrusions, thus influencing cell behavior. Our model succinctly captures the essence of size-dependent cellular dynamics without resorting to changes in gene expression patterns, offering new insights into the variations in cell behavior. Through this computational framework, we demonstrate that the diversity in cellular responses during wound healing can be fundamentally attributed to differences in cell size. This insight contributes to a deeper understanding of the behavioral plasticity of epithelial cells in critical physiological processes like wound closure.