Biophysical principles of cell competition and elimination

Abstract

Cell competition is a highly conserved mechanism through which cells with lower fitness levels than surrounding cells are actively removed from tissues. Differences in fitness may result from intrinsic tissue heterogeneity or be caused by differentiation, infections, or mutations. The resulting competition dynamics act as a key regulator of various biological processes during development and homeostasis. The underlying mechanical factors often remain unclear. Here, we discuss the biophysical principles of cell competition and elimination via extrusion or delamination. Recent advances have uncovered how fitness is determined by cellular mechanical properties, which can regulate winning or losing, and how cells use forces to outcompete each other. Furthermore, forces can influence the fate and direction of eliminated loser cells, which govern functional tissue development and disease progression.

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BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@article{schoenit2026biophysical,
  title = {{Biophysical principles of cell competition and elimination}},
  author = {Andreas Schoenit and René-Marc Mège and Benoît Ladoux},
  journal = {Trends in Cell Biology},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1016/j.tcb.2026.04.009},
  url = {https://hal.science/hal-05797301v1},
  note = {CC BY},
}

RIS

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Biophysical principles of cell competition and elimination
AU  - Andreas Schoenit
AU  - René-Marc Mège
AU  - Benoît Ladoux
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/13
JO  - Trends in Cell Biology
DO  - 10.1016/j.tcb.2026.04.009
UR  - https://hal.science/hal-05797301v1
AB  - Cell competition is a highly conserved mechanism through which cells with lower fitness levels than surrounding cells are actively removed from tissues. Differences in fitness may result from intrinsic tissue heterogeneity or be caused by differentiation, infections, or mutations. The resulting competition dynamics act as a key regulator of various biological processes during development and homeostasis. The underlying mechanical factors often remain unclear. Here, we discuss the biophysical principles of cell competition and elimination via extrusion or delamination. Recent advances have uncovered how fitness is determined by cellular mechanical properties, which can regulate winning or losing, and how cells use forces to outcompete each other. Furthermore, forces can influence the fate and direction of eliminated loser cells, which govern functional tissue development and disease progression.
SN  - 0962-8924
SN  - 0962-8924
ER  -

Abstract

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