Mechanosensing and Cell Communication Through ECM Fiber Buckling

Overview

Previous studies showed that cancer progression is heavily influenced by the properties of the extracellular matrix (ECM), where tumor cells can manipulate their environment to invade and go through metastasis. While previous models of cellular mechanosensing have primarily relied on linear elasticity, they fail to capture the complex, dynamic nature of ECM deformations. Other pieces of research have suggested that microbuckling and nonlinear fiber deformations play a critical role in facilitating long-range communication between cells. This study employs a computational modeling approach to simulate ECM fiber networks using MATLAB. This model incorporates directional forces, damping, and dynamic visualization to represent the biomechanical behavior of fiber networks. The system is modeled as a grid-based network of interconnected nodes, governed by spring-like interactions and enhanced with damping to account for overstretched fibers. This allows us to investigate how cells might respond to mechanical cues by adjusting fiber tension and connectivity. In this approach, we aim to provide further insight into how cancer cells exploit mechanical pathways for communication and migration. This understanding could inform future strategies for detecting or disrupting pathological mechanotransduction during disease progression.

Competition history

• AJAS 2026 Category not listed

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