Agent-based modeling of angiogenesis: Exploration of the effects of VEGF delivery strategies on promoting angiogenesis.

摘要

This is a dissertation about three-dimensional agent-based modeling (ABM) of angiogenesis within porous scaffold. Tissue engineering technology provides great benefits for humanity in maintaining healthy tissue formation and disease rehabilitation. However, biomedical experiments, especially animal experiments, are very costly, time- consuming and high technological level of equipment required. The computational modeling can provide an efficient alternative to biomedical experiments in strategy design and assist clinical research.;To simulate the angiogenesis process, an agent-based model was developed using java-based Repast toolkit. The purpose of this research is to explore the effects of different Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) delivery methods in promoting angiogenesis. The work here includes four parts: a) model verification by comparing simulation results with experimental results; b) exploration of different VEGF delivery methods by changing total dose and release rate; c) exploration of the effects of prevascularized strategies; d) development of a tissue cell VEGF secretion model.;The simulation results showed that: angiogenesis can be promoted by increasing VEGF total dose or decreasing releasing rate; prevascularized scaffolds can improve new vascular network formation and result in better invasion depth; pre-seeded tissue cells in the scaffold can provide a continuous source of VEGF and promote angiogenesis. This ABM can provide a good reference for the design of biomedical applications.