# The role of topology and mechanics in uniaxially growing cell networks

## TL;DR

This paper explores how the topology and mechanics of cell networks influence tissue growth and stability, revealing that network structure determines whether stress or strain drives growth, contributing to tissue robustness.

## Contribution

It introduces a network model linking tissue topology and local growth laws to overall tissue response, clarifying the mechanical basis of tissue stability.

## Key findings

- Series networks are stress-driven for robustness.
- Parallel networks are strain-driven for stability.
- Network topology influences growth law dominance.

## Abstract

In biological systems, the growth of cells, tissues, and organs is influenced by mechanical cues. Locally, cell growth leads to a mechanically heterogeneous environment as cells pull and push their neighbors in a cell network. Despite this local heterogeneity, at the tissue level, the cell network is remarkably robust, as it is not easily perturbed by changes in the mechanical environment or the network connectivity. Through a network model, we relate global tissue structure (i.e. the cell network topology) and local growth mechanisms (growth laws) to the overall tissue response. Within this framework, we investigate the two main mechanical growth laws that have been proposed: stress-driven or strain-driven growth. We show that in order to create a robust and stable tissue environment, networks with predominantly series connections are naturally driven by stress-driven growth, whereas networks with predominantly parallel connections are associated with strain-driven growth.