Scientists at Oregon Health & Science University have uncovered a previously unknown system of internal “trade winds” that help cells rapidly move essential proteins to the front of the cell, reshaping how researchers understand cell migration, cancer spread and wound healing.

The discovery, published in Nature Communications, reshapes what researchers thought they knew about how cells direct proteins to the right place at the right time.

For decades, biology textbooks have taught that free-floating proteins inside cells move mainly by diffusion, drifting randomly until they happen to reach their destination. But the new study shows that cells don’t leave this to chance. Instead, they create targeted streams of fluid that push essential proteins toward the cell’s leading edge, where movement and repair begin.