[3][4] For example, when corneal integrity is compromised, epithelial cells quickly cover the damaged area by proliferation and migration (haptotaxis).
Mechanical effects like the buildup of tensile forces may play an important role for both division as well as motility of cells in tissue.
[7] The presence of serum spreading factor was shown to influence directed migration along a gradient of substrate molecules in a few types of cancer cells.
This actin regulatory protein binds to fibronectin receptors and aids in the haptotactic and chemotactic processes of tumor cells.
TGF-β1 is a cytokine found in higher concentrations of lungs from patients who have IPF, and induces haptotaxis of pleural mesothelial cells.
During nephritis, VCAM-1 is expressed in higher levels on the tubules of nephrons, which leads to increased leukocyte migration via the gradient established by VCAM-1.
[12] Other leukocytes also exhibit haptotactic movement: neutrophils undergo IL-8 mediated migration, while monocytes, basophils, eosinophils and some T cells are influenced by RANTES chemokines.
[11] In the autoimmune disorder rheumatoid arthritis and in osteoarthritis, the associated swelling and migration of neutrophils to the affected site has been shown to be linked to membrane bound midkine cytokine.
Fibronectin and laminin both play a role in adrenocyte mutation into distinctive distribution in the adrenal gland.
[14] The adrenocytes migrate centripetally as they mature towards the medulla of the adrenal gland,[15] and this movement may be a result of haptotactic forces mediated by fibronectin and laminin.
Another regenerative strategy is the use of mesenchymal stem cells, which can differentiate into different kinds of connective tissue in the wound healing process.
A recent study has tentatively proposed the idea that the structures on cells responsible for sensing the membrane protein gradients are attenuated filopodia.