Development of a normal acinus (a multicellular spheroid with the hollow lumen inside)
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Goals:
Use the biomechanical IBCell model to reproduce the development of a normal hollow acinus (a spheroid with one layer of epithelial calls and the hollow lumen).
Mathematical Model: A classical fluid-structure interaction technique called the Immersed Boundary Method was used to model cell growth and division and all interactions between elastic cells (composed from linear Hookean springs) and the viscous incompressible cytoplasm inside the cells, and the surrounding medium. This method solves 2D or 3D partial differential Navier-Stokes equations. Computational tools: The model is coded using programming language Fortran and all images and movies are made using the Matlab system. Author: Kasia Rejniak: labpages.moffitt.org/rejniakk |
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Simulation movie: this simulation presents a growing cluster of epithelial cells that upon local interactions between the cells and between the cells and their microenvironment self-organize into an acinus -- a structure composed of one layer of cells enclosing the hollow lumen. Right panel shows experimental data (stars) that represent the number of viable cells (blue), the number of growing cells (green) and the number of dying cells (red). The solid lines show the same quantities calculated from the simulated movie. |
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MCF10A experimental data (fluorescently stained images of cell nuclei) |