New Cytokines Study Findings Have Been Reported from Central Washington University (A simple active fluid model unites cytokinesis, cell crawling, and axonal outgrowth).

A recent study from Central Washington University explores the physical process of axonal elongation, suggesting that it may utilize mechanisms similar to cell crawling and cell division. The research, supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, uses experimental data sets and active fluid theory to develop a biophysical model that describes sub-cellular flow patterns in various forms of motility. The study concludes that ameboid and mesenchymal cell crawling may have evolved from processes supporting cell division, and that neuronal migration and axonal elongation share fundamental similarities. [Extracted from the article]