Agent-based model for developing epithelial tissue and initiation of cell migration
The epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a complex cellular process which plays a key role in neural tube formation; wound healing; fibrosis; and the initial stage of metastasis. During this process cells change their behaviour and some are able to leave the tissue in which they are located to migrate elsewhere in the body.
However, how the EMT takes place is still not well understood. A major difficulty is the heterogeneity in the EMT, since it is a multi-step process that varies largely between cells. Our goal is to determine which variations of EMT are most efficient in producing cell extrusion from the tissue.
In this talk, I present an agent-based model that captures various mechanical factors of EMT such as the loss of polarity, loss of cell-cell adhesion and increase of cell protrusions. I will also explain a new numerical method from computer graphics, called position-based dynamics (PBD), thanks to which we can simulate millions of different scenarios. Excitingly, new biological hypotheses have been made from the conclusions of this study and that are currently being tested experimentally in E. Theveneau’s lab (Université de Toulouse, France).