Mechanics and morphology of proliferating cell collectives with self-inhibiting growth

TL;DR

This paper investigates how mechanical stress influences pattern formation in proliferating cell groups, combining discrete simulations and continuum theory to reveal stress-driven concentric patterns.

Contribution

It introduces a multiscale model linking microscopic cell stress responses to macroscopic patterning, advancing understanding of mechanical effects in cell collective dynamics.

Findings

Concentric-ring patterns emerge from stress responses in cell collectives.

Discrete simulations and continuum theory are successfully integrated.

Mechanical resistance influences internal morphology of proliferating tissues.

Abstract

We study the dynamics of proliferating cell collectives whose microscopic constituents' growth is inhibited by macroscopic growth-induced stress. Discrete particle simulations of a growing collective show the emergence of concentric-ring patterns in cell size whose spatio-temporal structure is closely tied to the individual cell's stress response. Motivated by these observations, we derive a multiscale continuum theory whose parameters map directly to the discrete model. Analytical solutions of this theory show the concentric patterns arise from anisotropically accumulated resistance to growth over many cell cycles. This work shows how purely mechanical processes can affect the internal patterning and morphology of cell collectives, and provides a concise theoretical framework for connecting the micro- to macroscopic dynamics of proliferating matter.