Individual-based modelling of angiogenesis inside three-dimensional porous biomaterials

Authored by John R King, Greg Lemon, Daniel Howard, Felicity R A J Rose

Date Published: 2011

DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2010.11.009

Sponsors: Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)

Platforms: No platforms listed

Model Documentation: Other Narrative Mathematical description

Model Code URLs: Model code not found

Abstract

This paper presents a simulation modelling framework to study the growth of blood vessels and cells through a porous tissue engineering scaffold. The model simulates the migration of capillaries and the formation of a vascular network through a single pore of a tissue engineering scaffold when it is embedded in living tissue. The model also describes how the flow of blood through the network changes as growth proceeds. Results are given for how the different strategies of seeding the pore with cells affects the extent of vascularisation. Also simulations are made to compare results where the values of different model parameters are varied such as the pore dimensions, the density of endothelial cells seeded into the pore, and the release rate of growth factor from the scaffold into the pore. The modelling framework described in this paper is useful for exploring experimental strategies for producing well-vascularised tissue engineered constructs, and is therefore potentially important to the field of regenerative medicine. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tags

Scaffolds In-vitro Endothelial-cells Tumor-induced angiogenesis Growth-factor Fibroblast migration Molecular-mechanisms Engineered tissues Vascular networks Fibrin gels