An in silico analogue of in vitro systems used to study epithelial cell morphogenesis

TLDR: A low-resolution system analogue in which space, events, and time are discretized; object interaction uses a two-dimensional grid similar to a cellular automaton to facilitate experimental exploration of outcomes from changing components and features.

Abstract: In vitro model systems are used to study epithelial cell growth, morphogenesis, differentiation, and transition to cancer-like forms. MDCK cell lines (from immortalized kidney epithelial cells) are widely used examples. Prominent in vitro phenotypic attributes include stable cyst formation in embedded culture, inverted cyst formation in suspension culture, and lumen formation in overlay culture. We present a low-resolution system analogue in which space, events, and time are discretized; object interaction uses a two-dimensional grid similar to a cellular automaton. The framework enables “cell” agents to act independent using an embedded logic based on axioms. In silico growth and morphology can mimic in vitro observations in four different simulated environments. Matched behaviors include stable “cyst” formation. The in silico system is designed to facilitate experimental exploration of outcomes from changing components and features, including the embedded logic (the in silico analogue of a mutation or epigenetic change). Some simulated behaviors are sensitive to changes in logic. In two cases, the change caused cancer-like growth patterns to emerge.