title: Cell-matrix interaction during strain-dependent remodelling of simulated collagen networks.
abstract: The importance of tissue remodelling is widely accepted, but the mechanism by which the remodelling process occurs remains poorly understood. At the tissue scale, the concept of tensional homeostasis, in which there exists a target stress for a cell and remodelling functions to move the cell stress towards that target, is an important foundation for much theoretical work. We present here a theoretical model of a cell in parallel with a network to study what factors of the remodelling process help the cell move towards mechanical stability. The cell-network system was deformed and kept at constant stress. Remodelling was modelled by simulating strain-dependent degradation of collagen fibres and four different cases of collagen addition. The model did not lead to complete tensional homeostasis in the range of conditions studied, but it showed how different expressions for deposition and removal of collagen in a fibre network can interact to modulate the cell's ability to shield itself from an imposed stress by remodelling the surroundings. This study also showed how delicate the balance between deposition and removal rates is and how sensitive the remodelling process is to small changes in the remodelling rules.
authors: Department of Biomedical Engineering , University of Minnesota , 7-105 Nils Hasselmo Hall, 312 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 , USA.
authors: Lazarina
authors: L
authors: Gyoneva
authors: Department of Biomedical Engineering , University of Minnesota , 7-105 Nils Hasselmo Hall, 312 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 , USA.
authors: Carley B
authors: CB
authors: Hovell
authors: Department of Biomedical Engineering , University of Minnesota , 7-105 Nils Hasselmo Hall, 312 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 , USA.
authors: Ryan J
authors: RJ
authors: Pewowaruk
authors: Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science , University of Minnesota , 151 Amundson Hall, 421 Washington Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 , USA.
authors: Kevin D
authors: KD
authors: Dorfman
authors: Division of Renal Diseases and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, University of Minnesota, 717 Delaware Street SE, Suite 353, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA; Minneapolis VA Health Care System, One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA.
authors: Yoav
authors: Y
authors: Segal
authors: Department of Biomedical Engineering , University of Minnesota , 7-105 Nils Hasselmo Hall, 312 Church Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55455 , USA.
authors: Victor H
authors: VH
authors: Barocas
keywords: biomechanics; collagen; mechanobiology; remodelling; tensional homeostasis