When cells move about in the body, they follow a complex “bimodal correlated random walk” pattern similar to what amoebae and bacteria use when searching for food, Vanderbilt researchers have found.

The cell travels primarily in one direction and then goes into a re-orientation phase in which it stays in place and reorganizes itself internally to move in a new direction.

The discovery has practical value for drug development: Incorporating this basic behavior into computer simulations of biological processes that involve cell migration, such as embryo development, bone remodeling, wound healing, infection and tumor growth, should improve the accuracy with which these models can predict the effectiveness of untested therapies for related disorders, the researchers say.