A variational model for finger-driven cell diffusion in the extracellular matrix

Abstract We present a simple chemo-mechanical variational model for a fibrous material that describes (i) the emergence of the anisotropy due to microscopic buckling instabilities (ii) a diffusion in the substrate of the cell phase driven by the new created macroscopic bands characterized by intense compressive deformation. The model is applicable for simulating the spreading of cells within tissues and their interaction with tissue remodeling during mesenchymal migration.