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Updated: Jul 15, 2025
Modeling the Effects of Hemodynamic Stress on Circulating Tumor Cells using a Syringe and Needle
Published on: April 27, 2021
Modeling critical interaction for metastasis between circulating tumor cells (CTCs) and platelets adhered to the
Miljan Milosevic1, Vladimir Simic2, Aleksandar Nikolic3
1Bioengineering Research and Development Center, BioIRC, Prvoslava Stojanovica 6, 34 000 Kragujevac, Serbia; Institute for Information Technologies, University of Kragujevac, Jovana Cvijica, 34 000 Kragujevac, Serbia; Belgrade Metropolitan University, Tadeuša Košćuška 63, 11158 Belgrade, Serbia.
Background And Objective:
We used a 2D fluid-solid interaction (FSI) model to investigate the critical conditions for the arrest of the CTCs traveling through the narrowed capillary with a platelet attached to the capillary wall. This computational model allows us to determine the deformations and the progression of the passage of the CTC through different types of microvessels with platelet included.
Methods:
The modeling process is obtained using the strong coupling approach following the remeshing procedure. Also, the 1D FE rope element for simulating active ligand-receptor bonds is implemented in our computational tool (described below).
Results:
A relationship between the CTCs properties (size and stiffness), the platelet size and stiffness, and the ligand-receptor interaction intensity, on one side, and the time in contact between the CTCs and platelet and conditions for the cell arrest, on the other side, are determined. The model is further validated in vitro by using a microfluidic device with metastatic breast tumor cells.
Conclusions:
The computational framework that is presented, with accompanying results, can be used as a powerful tool to study biomechanical conditions for CTCs arrest in interaction with platelets, giving a prognosis of disease progression.
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