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High-fidelity computational fluid dynamics modeling to simulate perfusion through a bone-mimicking scaffold
Shreya Venkatesh1, Chayut Teeraratkul1, Nick Rovito1
1University of Colorado Boulder, Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, Boulder, CO, USA.
Computers in Biology and Medicine
|January 1, 2025
Summary
Breast cancer cells respond to fluid flow in bone. This study created a high-fidelity model to accurately measure shear stresses, improving our understanding of breast cancer bone metastasis.
Area of Science:
- Biophysics
- Biotechnology
- Cancer Biology
Background:
- Breast cancer cells in bone metastasis are influenced by mechanical forces, specifically shear stresses from interstitial fluid flow.
- Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models are used to estimate these shear stresses, but simplifications can overlook critical cell-substrate interactions.
- Accurate mechanical signal quantification is essential for understanding cancer cell behavior and designing effective experiments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a high-fidelity computational model (digital twin) of a bone-mimicking scaffold within a custom perfusion bioreactor.
- To accurately estimate wall shear stresses experienced by cells under physiological conditions.
- To investigate the impact of scaffold fabrication on shear stress and validate the bioreactor system for mechanobiology studies.
Main Methods:
- Construction of a stabilized multi-domain finite element formulation for a digital twin of the bioreactor and scaffold.
- Incorporation of physical components and true flow boundaries to model fluid dynamics accurately.
- Determination of flow rates yielding physiological wall shear stresses and evaluation of scaffold fabrication effects.
Main Results:
- The high-fidelity model provides accurate estimations of wall shear stresses within the bone-mimicking scaffold.
- Sensitivity analysis revealed how scaffold fabrication influences the mechanical environment experienced by cells.
- Validation confirmed the bioreactor's capability to apply physiologically relevant fluid stresses.
Conclusions:
- This digital twin approach offers a more structured framework for studying breast cancer mechanobiology in bone metastasis.
- Accurate shear stress measurements are crucial for understanding how in vitro models of bone loading affect breast cancer cell responses.
- The findings pave the way for more precise in vitro investigations into cancer cell mechanoresponses in the bone microenvironment.
