Leveraging computational modeling to explore epithelial and endothelial cell monolayer mechanobiology

Endothelial cells (ENCs) and epithelial cells (EPCs) form monolayers whose barrier function is critical for the maintenance of physiological processes and extremely sensitive to mechanical cues. Computational models have emerged as powerful tools to elucidate how mechanical cues impact the behavior of these monolayers in health and disease. Herein, the importance of mechanics in regulating ENC and EPC monolayer behavior is established, highlighting similarities and differences in various biological contexts. Concurrently, computational approaches and their importance in accelerating mechanobiology studies are discussed, emphasizing their limitations and suggesting future directions. The aim is to inspire further synergies between cell biologists and modelers, which are crucial for accelerating cell mechanobiology research.