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Multiscale modeling of tissue-engineered fat: is there a deformation-driven positive feedback loop in adipogenesis?
Naama Shoham1, Lisa Mor-Yossef Moldovan, Dafna Benayahu
11 Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv, Israel .
Tissue Engineering. Part A
|December 18, 2014
Summary
Static mechanical strain activates fat cell differentiation pathways. Increased cell density amplifies plasma membrane strain, promoting adipogenesis, crucial for tissue engineering fat constructs.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cell Biology
- Tissue Engineering
Background:
- Mechanotransduction influences adipose tissue, with static mechanical strain activating adipogenesis.
- Understanding this process is vital for fat tissue engineering applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how static mechanical loading affects adipocyte differentiation.
- To explore the role of cell density and plasma membrane strain in adipogenesis.
- To develop multiscale models (MSM) for correlating macro-level deformations to subcellular-level cell responses.
Main Methods:
- In vitro adipocyte cultures were used to study cell differentiation and function.
- Multiscale models (MSM) were developed using the finite element method for simulating adipocytes in scaffolds under static mechanical stimulation.
- The models analyzed plasma membrane strain in relation to cell maturation and density.
Main Results:
- Static loading increased plasma membrane tensile strain with adipocyte maturation.
- Sufficient cell density (above 19 cells/100 μm³) led to increased plasma membrane strain in neighboring cells due to differentiation.
- Correlations between macro-level construct deformation and subcellular plasma membrane stretch were established.
Conclusions:
- Plasma membrane loading in adipocytes is influenced by neighboring cells, potentially creating positive feedback for differentiation.
- MSM effectively link macroscopic tissue behavior to microscopic cellular events, revealing deformation-driven adipogenesis.
- These findings support the use of MSM for optimizing tissue-engineered fat constructs by understanding mechanobiological processes.
