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The Cell as an Inspiration in Biomaterial Design
Published in Heather N. Hayenga, Helim Aranda-Espinoza, Biomaterial Mechanics, 2017
Helim Aranda-Espinoza, Katrina Adlerz
Alternatively, actin-related protein (ARP) complexes associate with the side of an already-assembled actin filament and nucleate actin monomers into a new filament there, resulting in a branched network of actin. Filamin is an actin-associated protein that holds together two actin filaments at right angles forming a loose, highly viscous active gel associated with lamellipodia used in cell migration. Alternatively, spectrin forms a hexagonal mesh binding actin filaments together into a stiff 3D web and is concentrated underneath the plasma membrane forming the actin cell cortex. Actin polymerization to form filaments and the filaments’ ability to form gels has captured the imagination of scientists to create interesting biomaterials like the reinforced liposomes and actin gels described here.
A quantitative high resolution computational cell model to unravel the mechanics in living tissues
Published in Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, 2019
P. Van Liedekerke, J. Neitsch, T. Johann, E. Warmt, I. Gonzalez-Valverde, S. Hoehme, S. Grosser, J. Kaes, D. Drasdo
Where ζ is a friction matrix, V(x) is the velocity vector of the nodes x, and F(x) is the total force vector of the nodes. The friction matrix determines how much energy is dissipated in the system, while the force vector contains all contributions related to the internal structure of the cell as well as external forces. The internal force models are viscoelastic elements (e.g. type Kelvin-Voigt, Maxwell) for each node-node pair interaction, reflecting the viscoelastic properties of the cell cortex, the cytoplasm and the nucleus. External nodal forces originate from e.g. adhesion or migration models. The model can mimic active cell contraction, cell growth and division, and apoptosis. Interactions with media or substrates inducing cell migration can also be accounted for. Each cell can have a polarity that makes it possible to distinguish regions in the cell with different properties, or that can determine in which direction a cell divides or migrates. Interactions of cells with arbitrarily shaped structures such as blood vessels can be captured naturally (Figure 2).