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Fernández-Colino A, Kiessling F, Slabu I, De Laporte L, Akhyari P, Nagel SK, Stingl J, Reese S, Jockenhoevel S. Lifelike Transformative Materials for Biohybrid Implants: Inspired by Nature, Driven by Technology. Adv Healthc Mater 2023; 12:e2300991. [PMID: 37290055 DOI: 10.1002/adhm.202300991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Today's living world is enriched with a myriad of natural biological designs, shaped by billions of years of evolution. Unraveling the construction rules of living organisms offers the potential to create new materials and systems for biomedicine. From the close examination of living organisms, several concepts emerge: hierarchy, pattern repetition, adaptation, and irreducible complexity. All these aspects must be tackled to develop transformative materials with lifelike behavior. This perspective article highlights recent progress in the development of transformative biohybrid systems for applications in the fields of tissue regeneration and biomedicine. Advances in computational simulations and data-driven predictions are also discussed. These tools enable the virtual high-throughput screening of implant design and performance before committing to fabrication, thus reducing the development time and cost of biomimetic and biohybrid constructs. The ongoing progress of imaging methods also constitutes an essential part of this matter in order to validate the computation models and enable longitudinal monitoring. Finally, the current challenges of lifelike biohybrid materials, including reproducibility, ethical considerations, and translation, are discussed. Advances in the development of lifelike materials will open new biomedical horizons, where perhaps what is currently envisioned as science fiction will become a science-driven reality in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia Fernández-Colino
- Department of Biohybrid & Medical Textiles (BioTex), AME-Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstraße 55, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Fabian Kiessling
- Institute for Experimental Molecular Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstraße 55, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Ioana Slabu
- Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, Medical Faculty, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 20, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Laura De Laporte
- DWI - Leibniz-Institute for Interactive Materials, Forckenbeckstraße 50, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry (ITMC), RWTH Aachen University, Worringerweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
- Advanced Materials for Biomedicine (AMB), Institute of Applied Medical Engineering (AME), University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Center for Biohybrid Medical Systems (CMBS), Forckenbeckstraße 55, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Payam Akhyari
- Clinic for Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstraße 30, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Saskia K Nagel
- Applied Ethics Group, RWTH Aachen University, Theaterplatz 14, 52062, Aachen, Germany
| | - Julia Stingl
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Wendlingweg 2, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefanie Reese
- Institute of Applied Mechanics, RWTH Aachen University, Mies-van-der-Rohe-Str. 1, 52074, Aachen, Germany
| | - Stefan Jockenhoevel
- Department of Biohybrid & Medical Textiles (BioTex), AME-Institute of Applied Medical Engineering, Helmholtz Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Forckenbeckstraße 55, 52074, Aachen, Germany
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Ciasca G, Papi M, Minelli E, Palmieri V, De Spirito M. Changes in cellular mechanical properties during onset or progression of colorectal cancer. World J Gastroenterol 2016; 22:7203-7214. [PMID: 27621568 PMCID: PMC4997642 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v22.i32.7203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) development represents a multistep process starting with specific mutations that affect proto-oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes. These mutations confer a selective growth advantage to colonic epithelial cells that form first dysplastic crypts, and then malignant tumours and metastases. All these steps are accompanied by deep mechanical changes at the cellular and the tissue level. A growing consensus is emerging that such modifications are not merely a by-product of the malignant progression, but they could play a relevant role in the cancer onset and accelerate its progression. In this review, we focus on recent studies investigating the role of the biomechanical signals in the initiation and the development of CRC. We show that mechanical cues might contribute to early phases of the tumour initiation by controlling the Wnt pathway, one of most important regulators of cell proliferation in various systems. We highlight how physical stimuli may be involved in the differentiation of non-invasive cells into metastatic variants and how metastatic cells modify their mechanical properties, both stiffness and adhesion, to survive the mechanical stress associated with intravasation, circulation and extravasation. A deep comprehension of these mechanical modifications may help scientist to define novel molecular targets for the cure of CRC.
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Tartarini D, Mele E. Adult Stem Cell Therapies for Wound Healing: Biomaterials and Computational Models. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2016; 3:206. [PMID: 26793702 PMCID: PMC4707872 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2015.00206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2015] [Accepted: 12/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The increased incidence of diabetes and tumors, associated with global demographic issues (aging and life styles), has pointed out the importance to develop new strategies for the effective management of skin wounds. Individuals affected by these diseases are in fact highly exposed to the risk of delayed healing of the injured tissue that typically leads to a pathological inflammatory state and consequently to chronic wounds. Therapies based on stem cells (SCs) have been proposed for the treatment of these wounds, thanks to the ability of SCs to self-renew and specifically differentiate in response to the target bimolecular environment. Here, we discuss how advanced biomedical devices can be developed by combining SCs with properly engineered biomaterials and computational models. Examples include composite skin substitutes and bioactive dressings with controlled porosity and surface topography for controlling the infiltration and differentiation of the cells. In this scenario, mathematical frameworks for the simulation of cell population growth can provide support for the design of bioconstructs, reducing the need of expensive, time-consuming, and ethically controversial animal experimentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Tartarini
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Insigneo Institute for in silico Medicine, University of Sheffield , Sheffield , UK
| | - Elisa Mele
- Department of Materials, Loughborough University , Loughborough , UK
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Abstract
Capturing the dynamism that pervades biological systems requires a computational approach that can accommodate both the continuous features of the system environment as well as the flexible and heterogeneous nature of component interactions. This presents a serious challenge for the more traditional mathematical approaches that assume component homogeneity to relate system observables using mathematical equations. While the homogeneity condition does not lead to loss of accuracy while simulating various continua, it fails to offer detailed solutions when applied to systems with dynamically interacting heterogeneous components. As the functionality and architecture of most biological systems is a product of multi-faceted individual interactions at the sub-system level, continuum models rarely offer much beyond qualitative similarity. Agent-based modelling is a class of algorithmic computational approaches that rely on interactions between Turing-complete finite-state machines--or agents--to simulate, from the bottom-up, macroscopic properties of a system. In recognizing the heterogeneity condition, they offer suitable ontologies to the system components being modelled, thereby succeeding where their continuum counterparts tend to struggle. Furthermore, being inherently hierarchical, they are quite amenable to coupling with other computational paradigms. The integration of any agent-based framework with continuum models is arguably the most elegant and precise way of representing biological systems. Although in its nascence, agent-based modelling has been utilized to model biological complexity across a broad range of biological scales (from cells to societies). In this article, we explore the reasons that make agent-based modelling the most precise approach to model biological systems that tend to be non-linear and complex.
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Quignot N. Modeling bioavailability to organs protected by biological barriers. In Silico Pharmacol 2013; 1:8. [PMID: 25505653 PMCID: PMC4230447 DOI: 10.1186/2193-9616-1-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2013] [Accepted: 05/05/2013] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Computational pharmacokinetic (PK) modeling gives access to drug concentration vs. time profiles in target organs and allows better interpretation of clinical observations of therapeutic or toxic effects. Physiologically-based PK (PBPK) models in particular, based on mechanistic descriptions of the body anatomy and physiology, may also help to extrapolate in vitro or animal data to human. Once in the systemic circulation, a chemical has access to the microvasculature of every organ or tissue. However, its penetration in the brain, retina, thymus, spinal cord, testis, placenta,… may be limited or even fully prevented by dynamic physiological blood-tissue barriers. Those barriers are both physical (involving tight junctions between adjacent cells) and biochemical (involving metabolizing enzymes and transporters). On those cases, correct mechanistic characterization of the passage (or not) of molecules through the barrier can be crucial for improved PBPK modeling and prediction. In parallel, attempts to understand and quantitatively characterize the processes involved in drug penetration of physiological barriers have led to the development of several in vitro experimental models. Data from such assays are very useful to calibrate PBPK models. We review here those in vitro and computational models, highlighting the challenges and perspectives for in vitro and computational models to better assess drug availability to target tissues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Quignot
- Bioengineering Department, Chair of Mathematical Modeling for Systems Toxicology, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, Royallieu Research Center, Compiègne, 60200 France ; LA-SER, Strategy and Decision Analytics, 10 place de la Catalogne, Paris, 75014 France
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De Matteis G, Graudenzi A, Antoniotti M. A review of spatial computational models for multi-cellular systems, with regard to intestinal crypts and colorectal cancer development. J Math Biol 2012. [PMID: 22565629 DOI: 10.1007/s00285‐012‐0539‐4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Colon rectal cancers (CRC) are the result of sequences of mutations which lead the intestinal tissue to develop in a carcinoma following a "progression" of observable phenotypes. The actual modeling and simulation of the key biological structures involved in this process is of interest to biologists and physicians and, at the same time, it poses significant challenges from the mathematics and computer science viewpoints. In this report we give an overview of some mathematical models for cell sorting (a basic phenomenon that underlies several dynamical processes in an organism), intestinal crypt dynamics and related problems and open questions. In particular, major attention is devoted to the survey of so-called in-lattice (or grid) models and off-lattice (off-grid) models. The current work is the groundwork for future research on semi-automated hypotheses formation and testing about the behavior of the various actors taking part in the adenoma-carcinoma progression, from regulatory processes to cell-cell signaling pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovanni De Matteis
- Department of Mathematics "F. Enriques", University of Milan, Via Saldini 50, 20133 Milan, Italy
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A review of spatial computational models for multi-cellular systems, with regard to intestinal crypts and colorectal cancer development. J Math Biol 2012; 66:1409-62. [PMID: 22565629 DOI: 10.1007/s00285-012-0539-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2011] [Revised: 04/11/2012] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Colon rectal cancers (CRC) are the result of sequences of mutations which lead the intestinal tissue to develop in a carcinoma following a "progression" of observable phenotypes. The actual modeling and simulation of the key biological structures involved in this process is of interest to biologists and physicians and, at the same time, it poses significant challenges from the mathematics and computer science viewpoints. In this report we give an overview of some mathematical models for cell sorting (a basic phenomenon that underlies several dynamical processes in an organism), intestinal crypt dynamics and related problems and open questions. In particular, major attention is devoted to the survey of so-called in-lattice (or grid) models and off-lattice (off-grid) models. The current work is the groundwork for future research on semi-automated hypotheses formation and testing about the behavior of the various actors taking part in the adenoma-carcinoma progression, from regulatory processes to cell-cell signaling pathways.
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Smallwood R. Computational modeling of epithelial tissues. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2011; 1:191-201. [PMID: 20835991 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
There is an extensive literature on the computational modeling of epithelial tissues at all levels from subcellular to whole tissue. This review concentrates on behavior at the individual cell to whole tissue level, and particularly on organizational aspects, and provides an indication of where information from other areas, such as the modeling of angiogenesis, is relevant. The skin, and the lining of all of the body cavities (lung, gut, cervix, bladder etc) are epithelial tissues, which in a topological sense are the boundary between inside and outside the body. They are thin sheets of cells (usually of the order of 0.5 mm thick) without extracellular matrix, have a relatively simple structure, and contain few types of cells. They have important barrier, secretory and transport functions, which are essential for the maintenance of life, so homeostasis and wound healing are important aspects of the behavior of epithelial tissues. Carcinomas originate in epithelial tissues.There are essentially two approaches to modeling tissues--to start at the level of the tissue (i.e., a length scale of the order of 1 mm) and develop generalized equations for behavior (a continuum approach); or to start at the level of the cell (i.e., a length scale of the order of 10 µm) and develop tissue behavior as an emergent property of cellular behavior (an individual-based approach). As will be seen, these are not mutually exclusive approaches, and they come in a variety of flavors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rod Smallwood
- Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, Regent Court, 211 Portobello, Sheffield S1 4DP, UK
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Li NYK, Verdolini K, Clermont G, Mi Q, Rubinstein EN, Hebda PA, Vodovotz Y. A patient-specific in silico model of inflammation and healing tested in acute vocal fold injury. PLoS One 2008; 3:e2789. [PMID: 18665229 PMCID: PMC2481293 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0002789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2008] [Accepted: 05/12/2008] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of personalized medicine is a primary objective of the medical community and increasingly also of funding and registration agencies. Modeling is generally perceived as a key enabling tool to target this goal. Agent-Based Models (ABMs) have previously been used to simulate inflammation at various scales up to the whole-organism level. We extended this approach to the case of a novel, patient-specific ABM that we generated for vocal fold inflammation, with the ultimate goal of identifying individually optimized treatments. ABM simulations reproduced trajectories of inflammatory mediators in laryngeal secretions of individuals subjected to experimental phonotrauma up to 4 hrs post-injury, and predicted the levels of inflammatory mediators 24 hrs post-injury. Subject-specific simulations also predicted different outcomes from behavioral treatment regimens to which subjects had not been exposed. We propose that this translational application of computational modeling could be used to design patient-specific therapies for the larynx, and will serve as a paradigm for future extension to other clinical domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Y. K. Li
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Katherine Verdolini
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- University of Pittsburgh Voice Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for Inflammation and Regenerative Modeling, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Gilles Clermont
- Center for Inflammation and Regenerative Modeling, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Qi Mi
- Center for Inflammation and Regenerative Modeling, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Sports Medicine and Nutrition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Elaine N. Rubinstein
- Office of Measurement and Evaluation of Teaching, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Patricia A. Hebda
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Otolaryngology Wound Healing Laboratory, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Yoram Vodovotz
- Department of Communication Science and Disorders, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for Inflammation and Regenerative Modeling, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America
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van Leeuwen IMM, Byrne HM, Jensen OE, King JR. Crypt dynamics and colorectal cancer: advances in mathematical modelling. Cell Prolif 2006; 39:157-81. [PMID: 16671995 PMCID: PMC6495865 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2184.2006.00378.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mathematical modelling forms a key component of systems biology, offering insights that complement and stimulate experimental studies. In this review, we illustrate the role of theoretical models in elucidating the mechanisms involved in normal intestinal crypt dynamics and colorectal cancer. We discuss a range of modelling approaches, including models that describe cell proliferation, migration, differentiation, crypt fission, genetic instability, APC inactivation and tumour heterogeneity. We focus on the model assumptions, limitations and applications, rather than on the technical details. We also present a new stochastic model for stem-cell dynamics, which predicts that, on average, APC inactivation occurs more quickly in the stem-cell pool in the absence of symmetric cell division. This suggests that natural niche succession may protect stem cells against malignant transformation in the gut. Finally, we explain how we aim to gain further understanding of the crypt system and of colorectal carcinogenesis with the aid of multiscale models that cover all levels of organization from the molecular to the whole organ.
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Affiliation(s)
- I M M van Leeuwen
- Centre for Mathematical Medicine, Division of Applied Mathematics, School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
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Zimmerman WB. Cheating Nyquist: Nonlinear model reconstruction with undersampled frequency response of a forced, damped, nonlinear oscillator. Chem Eng Sci 2006. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ces.2005.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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