title: A multicellular systems biology model predicts epidermal morphology, kinetics and Ca2+ flow.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Systems biology is currently focused on integrating intracellular networks, although clinically, diseases are largely defined by their histological features. For example, no computational model can simulate today the formation of a horizontally layered epidermis. Since the epidermis is the most complex structured epithelial tissue, systems biology models could yield important insights in epithelial tissue, in which most of all human cancers arise.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We describe the algorithms of a system, capable of simulating the tissue homeostasis in human epidermis leading to a horizontally layered tissue with cells of different differentiation stages. The system predicts epidermal morphology, tissue kinetics and 2D flow of Ca2+ ions. Predicted properties of an epidermis with a healthy and a disturbed barrier are compared with the literature. The system closely mimics the respecting physiological situations.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Additional information and films of the simulation are available at the website. Source code is available on request. http://www.zbh.uni-hamburg.de/research/ESB/index.php
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  grabe@zbh.uni-hamburg.de
authors: Center for Bioinformatics, University Hamburg, Bundesstrasse 43, 20146 Hamburg, Germany. grabe@zbh.uni-hamburg.de
authors: Niels
authors: N
authors: Grabe
authors: Karsten
authors: K
authors: Neuber
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003198:Computer Simulation; D000078404:Epidermal Cells; D004817:Epidermis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008954:Models, Biological; D049490:Systems Biology / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D002118:Calcium