ABSTRACT
Cell movements are important in embryogenesis, wound healing, tumor invasion and metastasis, infection and inflammation. The cell collects information from its environment and guides its locomotory machinery. Thus, the cellular environment can be used to characterize the type of locomotion. The cellular response of granulocytes with a concentration dependent chemotactic constant has similarities to the response of cells with a cooperative response. Contact Guidance is well known that directed locomotion in a concentration gradient of chemotactic molecules is based on the specific binding of molecules to the membrane-bound receptors. The order-disorder transition of granulocytes was investigated in vitro with the Echo 9 virus. Other viruses, influenza, measles, Herpes simplex and hepatitis virus also induce disturbances of the chemotactic response of human granulocytes and/or monocytes under in vitro and in vivo conditions. Obviously, different types of viruses can induce noise in the data-processing system of human leukocytes.
