Dynamic chemotactic response of fibroblasts to local stimulation using EGF-immobilized microbeads.

Directional cellular migrations as a chemotactic response to spatially inhomogeneous growth factor stimulation play an important role in establishing physiological mechanisms and pathological events in cells. We developed epidermal growth factor (EGF)-immobilized microbeads by photoreaction and evaluated its local stimulatory effects on the dynamic chemotactic motility of fibroblasts. The local stimulation resulted in global activation of ERK 1/2 and directionality of cellular migration.