Active-gel Theory for Multicellular Migration of Polar Cells in the Extra-cellular Matrix

Abstract We formulate an active-gel theory for multicellular migration in the extra-cellular matrix (ECM). The cells are modeled as active, polar solvent, and ECM a viscoelastic solid. Our enables to analyze dynamic reciprocity between migrating their environment terms of distinct relative forces alignment mechanisms. linear stability homogeneously ECM. predicts that, consequence cell-matrix alignment, contractile migrate small wave vectors, while sufficiently extensile domains. Homogeneous cell both may be unstable larger due active with concentration gradient. These mechanisms stabilized by cellular flow stiffness. They expected suppressed entirely rigid matrices elastic moduli order 10 kPa. should useful analyzing patterning at mesoscopic scale.