Modelling and simulation for the formation of vascular networks

Summarization: The formation of blood vessels is driven by chemical and mechanical interactions between the cells and their extracellular matrix. New vasculature can emerge in the presence of angiogenic factors or as a result of cell traction forces onto the extracellular matrix. The respective contribution of chemical or mechanical events during angiogenesis is still unclear. We present a mathematical model that incorporates such interactions and examine the conditions necessary for the formation of pattern. The model treats the extracellular matrix as a linear viscoelastic material and cellular movement either as a process influenced by the local strain field or as a chemotactic movement, in response to chemical gradients.Παρουσιάστηκε στο: Modelling and Simulation for Computer-Aided Medicine and Surgery, INRIA, Rocquencourt, Paris, Franc