Guidelines for Finite Element Modeling of Cell Adhesion Process

Cell adhesion is a phenomenon characterizing cell-environment interactions and affects cellular behavior. Cell-substrate adhesion is ensured by focal adhesions (FAs), which are multilayer protein complexes. External mechanical stimulus perceived by FAs is rapidly transmitted first to cytoskeleton load-bearing structures and finally to the nucleus thanks to an interlinked cellular architecture, thus inducing transcription mechanisms and changes in cell functionality. Prestress of cytoskeletal filaments allows mechanical information to be transferred along these stiffer transportation channels with respect to neighboring cell regions, thus avoiding the energy dissipation typical of soft matter. Peculiar items concerning adhesion mechanisms, i.e., stiffness inhomogeneity in cell architecture, and auto-supporting tension-based cell structure, can be effectively handled thanks to modeling strategies provided by finite element method (FEM), which represents a valid tool for simulating cell adhesion. With the aim of replicating experimental results and predicting cell behavior, useful guidelines for simulating cellular adhesion will be outlined in the proposed work.