Quantifying Hemodynamic Conditions That Facilitate Cancer Cell Deformation
Mentor 1
Mahsa Dabagh
Start Date
28-4-2023 12:00 AM
Description
Understanding the impact of different hemodynamic conditions (conditions that control blood flow that influence the deformation of circulating cancer cell deformation) is an important step in creating new treatments. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells that have detached from the primary tumor and travel through the bloodstream to form tumors in distant locations. The survival of CTCs is dependent on the cells ability to deform and interact with its surrounding environment such as being able to squeeze through the walls of blood vessels to enter the bloodstream. Deformation of the cells is due to mechanical properties such as the cell’s elasticity and the hemodynamic conditions within the microvasculature. The main goal of this research is to quantify the impact of hemodynamic conditions and vascular anatomy on how CTCs deform. To achieve this, two different breast cancer cell lines will be analyzed with respect to varying vessel size, stiffness, and velocities typically seen within the microvasculature. These models will be created using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in COMSOL Multiphysics. Anticipated outcomes are to determine the values that support CTCs’ deformation. Results from this research could give a better understanding into mechanisms impacting cancer cells’ deformation which could then lead to treatments that prevent their ability to extravasate through arterial wall for metastasis, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes.
Quantifying Hemodynamic Conditions That Facilitate Cancer Cell Deformation
Understanding the impact of different hemodynamic conditions (conditions that control blood flow that influence the deformation of circulating cancer cell deformation) is an important step in creating new treatments. Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are cancer cells that have detached from the primary tumor and travel through the bloodstream to form tumors in distant locations. The survival of CTCs is dependent on the cells ability to deform and interact with its surrounding environment such as being able to squeeze through the walls of blood vessels to enter the bloodstream. Deformation of the cells is due to mechanical properties such as the cell’s elasticity and the hemodynamic conditions within the microvasculature. The main goal of this research is to quantify the impact of hemodynamic conditions and vascular anatomy on how CTCs deform. To achieve this, two different breast cancer cell lines will be analyzed with respect to varying vessel size, stiffness, and velocities typically seen within the microvasculature. These models will be created using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in COMSOL Multiphysics. Anticipated outcomes are to determine the values that support CTCs’ deformation. Results from this research could give a better understanding into mechanisms impacting cancer cells’ deformation which could then lead to treatments that prevent their ability to extravasate through arterial wall for metastasis, ultimately leading to better patient outcomes.
