Shape changes of bioprinted tissue constructs simulated by the Lattice Boltzmann method.

Area of Science:

• Biomaterials Science
• Computational Biology
• Tissue Engineering

Background:

• Tissue engineering aims to create functional tissues for repair and replacement.
• Computational modeling is crucial for understanding complex multicellular system development.
• Bioprinting involves arranging cells within hydrogels, requiring prediction of construct stability and shape.

Purpose of the Study:

• To apply the Lattice Boltzmann (LB) method to simulate the fusion of multicellular constructs in a hydrogel environment.
• To develop and validate a 2D LB model for predicting the shape and stability of bioprinted tissues.
• To investigate the morphogenesis of various bioprinted construct geometries.

Main Methods:

• Development of a two-dimensional Lattice Boltzmann (LB) model for multicellular systems within hydrogels.
• Implementation of a parallel computing code using the Portable Extensible Toolkit for Scientific Computation (PETSc).
• Simulation of multicellular cylinder fusion, defect evolution in tubes, and planar/bulky construct development.

Main Results:

• The LB model successfully simulated the fusion of multicellular cylinders into tubular constructs, aligning with bioprinting experiments.
• The model captured essential features of morphogenesis, including the evolution of construct shapes and stability.
• Simulations addressed practical tissue engineering challenges, such as defects and perfusable construct design.

Conclusions:

• The validated LB model provides a cost-effective and rapid tool for testing hypotheses in tissue engineering.
• This computational approach can accelerate the design and optimization of bioprinted tissue constructs.
• The study demonstrates the utility of LB methods in understanding and predicting multicellular construct behavior.