June 9, 2023
Keio University
Kanazawa University
The newly developed simulation technology predicts complex deformation and fracture phenomena of cell populations on three-dimensional structures, based on mechanical parameters such as the forces generated by cells and the adhesion strength between cells and scaffold materials. The research group conducted a detailed comparison and analysis of the morphology of cells cultured on microstructures and the morphology of the cell population depicted by the simulation. They revealed that the concentration of traction forces generated by numerous cells in specific areas leads to the rupture of cell-scaffold adhesion, which in turn triggers large-scale deformation phenomena in the cell population.
This simulation technology makes it possible to quantitatively predict the morphology of tissues formed by cell populations on three-dimensional scaffolds of various shapes. It is expected to become a useful tool for designing cell culture substrates in the fields of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering.
This research was published online in the international scientific journal Acta Biomaterialia on May 9, 2023.
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