Abstract
Cell migration refers to a directional cell movement in response to chemoattractant stimulation. In this work, we developed a cell-migration model by mimicking in vivo migration using optically manipulated chemoattractant-loaded microsources. The model facilitates a quantitative characterization of the relationship among the protrusion force, cell motility, and chemoattractant gradient for the first time (to our knowledge). We verified the correctness of the model using migrating leukemia cancer Jurkat cells. The results show that one can achieve the ideal migrating capacity by choosing the appropriate chemoattractant gradient and concentration at the leading edge of the cell.