Evaluation of Cell's Passability in the ECM Network

作者：Zhang, Yongrou; Huang, Zetao; Dong, Shoubin; Liu, Zejia^*; Liu, Yiping; Tang, Liqun; Cheng, Taobo; Zhou, Xuefeng^*

来源：Biophysical Journal, 2020, 119(6): 1056-1064.

DOI：10.1016/j.bpj.2020.07.032

• EXTRACELLULAR-MATRIX
• MECHANICAL-PROPERTIES
• IN-VITRO
• MIGRATION
• STIFFNESS
• MODEL
• INVASION
• DEFORMATION
• ADHESION
• BEHAVIOR

The microstructure of the extracellular matrix (ECM) plays a key role in affecting cell migration, especially non-proteolytic migration. It is difficult, however, to measure some properties of the ECM, such as stiffness and the passability for cell migration. On the basis of a network model of collagen fiber in the ECM, which has been well applied to simulate mechanical behaviors such as the stress-strain relationship, damage, and failure, we proposed a series of methods to study the microstructural properties containing pore size and pore stiffness and to search for the possible migration paths for cells. Finally, with a given criterion, we quantitatively evaluated the passability of the ECM network for cell migration. The fiber network model with a microstructure and the analysis method presented in this study further our understanding of and ability to evaluate the properties of an ECM network.