1
|
Azimi-Boulali J, Mahler GJ, Murray BT, Huang P. Multiscale computational modeling of aortic valve calcification. Biomech Model Mechanobiol 2024; 23:581-599. [PMID: 38093148 DOI: 10.1007/s10237-023-01793-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Calcific aortic valve disease (CAVD) is a common cardiovascular disease that affects millions of people worldwide. The disease is characterized by the formation of calcium nodules on the aortic valve leaflets, which can lead to stenosis and heart failure if left untreated. The pathogenesis of CAVD is still not well understood, but involves several signaling pathways, including the transforming growth factor beta (TGF β ) pathway. In this study, we developed a multiscale computational model for TGF β -stimulated CAVD. The model framework comprises cellular behavior dynamics, subcellular signaling pathways, and tissue-level diffusion fields of pertinent chemical species, where information is shared among different scales. Processes such as endothelial to mesenchymal transition (EndMT), fibrosis, and calcification are incorporated. The results indicate that the majority of myofibroblasts and osteoblast-like cells ultimately die due to lack of nutrients as they become trapped in areas with higher levels of fibrosis or calcification, and they subsequently act as sources for calcium nodules, which contribute to a polydispersed nodule size distribution. Additionally, fibrosis and calcification processes occur more frequently in regions closer to the endothelial layer where the cell activity is higher. Our results provide insights into the mechanisms of CAVD and TGF β signaling and could aid in the development of novel therapeutic approaches for CAVD and other related diseases such as cancer. More broadly, this type of modeling framework can pave the way for unraveling the complexity of biological systems by incorporating several signaling pathways in subcellular models to simulate tissue remodeling in diseases involving cellular mechanobiology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Javid Azimi-Boulali
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
| | - Gretchen J Mahler
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
| | - Bruce T Murray
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA
| | - Peter Huang
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Binghamton University, Binghamton, NY, 13902, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pan R, Yang X, Ning K, Xie Y, Chen F, Yu L. Recapitulating the Drifting and Fusion of Two-Generation Spheroids on Concave Agarose Microwells. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:11967. [PMID: 37569343 PMCID: PMC10419262 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241511967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Cells with various structures and proteins naturally come together to cooperate in vivo. This study used cell spheroids cultured in agarose micro-wells as a 3D model to study the movement of cells or spheroids toward other spheroids. The formation dynamics of tumor spheroids and the interactions of two batches of cells in the agarose micro-wells were studied. The results showed that a concave bottom micro-well (diameter: 2 mm, depth: 2 mm) prepared from 3% agarose could be used to study the interaction of two batches of cells. The initial tumor cell numbers from 5 × 103 cells/well to 6 × 104 cells/well all could form 3D spheroids after 3 days of incubation. Adding the second batch of DU 145 cells to the existing DU 145 spheroid resulted in the formation of satellite cell spheroids around the existing parental tumor spheroid. Complete fusion of two generation cell spheroids was observed when the parental spheroids were formed from 1 × 104 and 2 × 104 cells, and the second batch of cells was 5 × 103 per well. A higher amount of the second batch of cells (1 × 104 cell/well) led to the formation of independent satellite spheroids after 48 h of co-culture, suggesting the behavior of the second batch of cells towards existing parental spheroids depended on various factors, such as the volume of the parental spheroids and the number of the second batch cells. The interactions between the tumor spheroids and Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells (HUVECs) were modeled on concave agarose micro-wells. The HUVECs (3 × 103 cell/well) were observed to gather around the parental tumor spheroids formed from 1 × 104, 2 × 104, and 3 × 104 cells per well rather than aggregate on their own to form HUVEC spheroids. This study highlights the importance of analyzing the biological properties of cells before designing experimental procedures for the sequential fusion of cell spheroids. The study further emphasizes the significant roles that cell density and the volume of the spheroids play in determining the location and movement of cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Ling Yu
- Key Laboratory of Luminescence Analysis and Molecular Sensing, Ministry of Education, Institute for Clean Energy and Advanced Materials, School of Materials and Energy, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China; (R.P.); (X.Y.); (K.N.); (Y.X.); (F.C.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Gonçalves IG, García-Aznar JM. Hybrid computational models of multicellular tumour growth considering glucose metabolism. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2023; 21:1262-1271. [PMID: 36814723 PMCID: PMC9939553 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2023.01.044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Cancer cells metabolize glucose through metabolic pathways that differ from those used by healthy and differentiated cells. In particular, tumours have been shown to consume more glucose than their healthy counterparts and to use anaerobic metabolic pathways, even under aerobic conditions. Nevertheless, scientists have still not been able to explain why cancer cells evolved to present an altered metabolism and what evolutionary advantage this might provide them. Experimental and computational models have been increasingly used in recent years to understand some of these biological questions. Multicellular tumour spheroids are effective experimental models as they replicate the initial stages of avascular solid tumour growth. Furthermore, these experiments generate data which can be used to calibrate and validate computational studies that aim to simulate tumour growth. Hybrid models are of particular relevance in this field of research because they model cells as individual agents while also incorporating continuum representations of the substances present in the surrounding microenvironment that may participate in intracellular metabolic networks as concentration or density distributions. Henceforth, in this review, we explore the potential of computational modelling to reveal the role of metabolic reprogramming in tumour growth.
Collapse
Key Words
- ABM, agent-based model
- ATP, adenosine triphosphate
- CA, cellular automata
- CPM, cellular Potts model
- ECM, extracellular matrix
- FBA, Flux Balance Analysis
- FDG-PET, [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography
- MCTS, multicellular tumour spheroids
- ODEs, ordinary differential equations
- PDEs, partial differential equations
- SBML, Systems Biology Markup Language
- Warburg effect
- agent-based models
- glucose metabolism
- hybrid modelling
- multicellular simulations
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Inês G. Gonçalves
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50018, Aragon, Spain
| | - José Manuel García-Aznar
- Multiscale in Mechanical and Biological Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aragon Institute of Engineering Research (I3A), University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza 50018, Aragon, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Bojin F, Robu A, Bejenariu MI, Ordodi V, Olteanu E, Cean A, Popescu R, Neagu M, Gavriliuc O, Neagu A, Arjoca S, Păunescu V. 3D Bioprinting of Model Tissues That Mimic the Tumor Microenvironment. MICROMACHINES 2021; 12:535. [PMID: 34065040 PMCID: PMC8151644 DOI: 10.3390/mi12050535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2021] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) influences cancer progression. Therefore, engineered TME models are being developed for fundamental research and anti-cancer drug screening. This paper reports the biofabrication of 3D-printed avascular structures that recapitulate several features of the TME. The tumor is represented by a hydrogel droplet uniformly loaded with breast cancer cells (106 cells/mL); it is embedded in the same type of hydrogel containing primary cells-tumor-associated fibroblasts isolated from the peritumoral environment and peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Hoechst staining of cryosectioned tissue constructs demonstrated that cells remodeled the hydrogel and remained viable for weeks. Histological sections revealed heterotypic aggregates of malignant and peritumoral cells; moreover, the constituent cells proliferated in vitro. To investigate the interactions responsible for the experimentally observed cellular rearrangements, we built lattice models of the bioprinted constructs and simulated their evolution using Metropolis Monte Carlo methods. Although unable to replicate the complexity of the TME, the approach presented here enables the self-assembly and co-culture of several cell types of the TME. Further studies will evaluate whether the bioprinted constructs can evolve in vivo in animal models. If they become connected to the host vasculature, they may turn into a fully organized TME.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Florina Bojin
- Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (F.B.); (E.O.); (R.P.); (M.N.); (O.G.); (A.N.); (V.P.)
- OncoGen Institute, 300723 Timisoara, Romania; (V.O.); (A.C.)
| | - Andreea Robu
- Department of Automation and Applied Informatics, “Politehnica” University of Timisoara, 300223 Timisoara, Romania;
| | - Maria Iulia Bejenariu
- Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, “Politehnica” University of Timisoara, 300222 Timisoara, Romania;
| | - Valentin Ordodi
- OncoGen Institute, 300723 Timisoara, Romania; (V.O.); (A.C.)
| | - Emilian Olteanu
- Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (F.B.); (E.O.); (R.P.); (M.N.); (O.G.); (A.N.); (V.P.)
- Department of Microscopic Morphology-Morphopathology, ANAPATMOL Research Center, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Ada Cean
- OncoGen Institute, 300723 Timisoara, Romania; (V.O.); (A.C.)
| | - Roxana Popescu
- Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (F.B.); (E.O.); (R.P.); (M.N.); (O.G.); (A.N.); (V.P.)
| | - Monica Neagu
- Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (F.B.); (E.O.); (R.P.); (M.N.); (O.G.); (A.N.); (V.P.)
- Center for Modeling Biological Systems and Data Analysis, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Oana Gavriliuc
- Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (F.B.); (E.O.); (R.P.); (M.N.); (O.G.); (A.N.); (V.P.)
- OncoGen Institute, 300723 Timisoara, Romania; (V.O.); (A.C.)
| | - Adrian Neagu
- Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (F.B.); (E.O.); (R.P.); (M.N.); (O.G.); (A.N.); (V.P.)
- Center for Modeling Biological Systems and Data Analysis, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Stelian Arjoca
- Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (F.B.); (E.O.); (R.P.); (M.N.); (O.G.); (A.N.); (V.P.)
- Center for Modeling Biological Systems and Data Analysis, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania
| | - Virgil Păunescu
- Department of Functional Sciences, Victor Babes University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; (F.B.); (E.O.); (R.P.); (M.N.); (O.G.); (A.N.); (V.P.)
- OncoGen Institute, 300723 Timisoara, Romania; (V.O.); (A.C.)
| |
Collapse
|