Biomechanical Effects on Traveling Waves at the Interface of Cell Populations

TL;DR

This paper investigates how biomechanical interactions influence the propagation of interfaces between two cell populations, using a nonlinear non-local model to analyze traveling wave solutions relevant to tumor growth and tissue mechanics.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive model incorporating biomechanical and biochemical interactions and analyzes the existence and bounds of traveling wave solutions.

Findings

Established bounds on wave propagation speed.

Demonstrated the influence of biomechanical factors on interface dynamics.

Extended previous models to include nonlinear and non-local effects.

Abstract

This study builds upon a model proposed by Joanny and collaborators that examines the dynamics of interfaces between two distinct cell populations, particularly during tumor growth in healthy tissues. This framework leads to the investigation of a general model with a non-local and strongly nonlinear advection term representing the biomechanical interaction between both populations. The model captures the evolution of front propagation, reflecting the interaction between cell population dynamics and tissue mechanics. We explore the existence of traveling wave solutions to this problem and establish upper and lower bounds on the propagation speed across various biological parameters. In this way, the model accounts for both biomechanical and biochemical interactions.