How high-resolution agent-based models can improve fundamental insights in tissue development and cell culturing methods

TL;DR

This paper reviews high-resolution deformable cell models, especially agent-based approaches, demonstrating their potential to enhance understanding of tissue development and cell culturing through realistic biophysical simulations.

Contribution

It introduces and discusses the application of Deformable Cell Models, highlighting their ability to provide detailed biophysical insights in tissue and cell culture modeling.

Findings

DCMs enable realistic simulation of cell biophysics.

Application of DCMs improves understanding of tissue organization.

Models demonstrate quantitative value in biological research.

Abstract

The fundamental understanding of how cells physically interact with each other and their environment is key to understanding their organisation in living tissues. Over the past decades several computational methods have been developed to decipher emergent multi-cellular behaviors. In particular agent-based (or cell-based) models that consider the individual cell as basic modeling unit tracked in space and time enjoy increasing interest across scientific communities. In this article we explore a particular class of cell-based models, so-called Deformable Cell Models (DCMs), that allow to simulate the biophysics of the cell with high realism. After situating this model among other model types, We give an overview of past and recent DCM developments and discuss new simulation results of several applications covering in-vitro and in-vivo systems. Our goal is to demonstrate how such models can generate quantitative added value in biological and biotechnological problems.