Constitutive model for the rheology of biological tissue

Fielding, Suzanne M.; Cochran, James O.; Huang, Junxiang; Bi, Dapeng; Marchetti, M. Cristina

Abstract

The rheology of biological tissue is key to processes such as embryo development, wound healing, and cancer metastasis. Vertex models of confluent tissue monolayers have uncovered a spontaneous liquid-solid transition tuned by cell shape; and a shear-induced solidification transition of an initially liquidlike tissue. Alongside this jamming/unjamming behavior, biological tissue also displays an inherent viscoelasticity, with a slow time and rate-dependent mechanics. With this motivation, we combine simulations and continuum theory to examine the rheology of the vertex model in nonlinear shear across a full range of shear rates from quastistatic to fast, elucidating its nonlinear stress-strain curves after the inception of shear of finite rate, and its steady state flow curves of stress as a function of strain rate. We formulate a rheological constitutive model that couples cell shape to flow and captures both the tissue solid-liquid transition and its rich linear and nonlinear rheology.

Citation

Fielding, S. M., Cochran, J. O., Huang, J., Bi, D., & Marchetti, M. C. (2023). Constitutive model for the rheology of biological tissue. Physical Review E, 108(4), Article L042602. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.108.L042602

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 13, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Oct 9, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-10
• Deposit Date: Oct 10, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 10, 2023
• Journal: Physical Review E
• Print ISSN: 2470-0045
• Electronic ISSN: 2470-0053
• Publisher: American Physical Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 108
• Issue: 4
• Article Number: L042602
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.108.L042602
• Keywords: Wound Healing, Rheology, Motivation, Cell Shape, Embryonic Development
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1788558