Discrete viscoelastic model of deformable immune cell migration through confined tumor microchannels

Abstract

Understanding the mechanical behavior of immune cells as they migrate through the complex environment of solid tumors may be crucial for improving immunotherapy strategies. In this work, we present a particle-based model that captures the large deformations of single immune cells migrating through confined microchannels, which mimic the narrow tumor micropores. In our model, the nucleus, cytoplasm, and membrane are simulated through discrete particles with varying interacting forces that account for the differences in the mechanical properties of the discrete parts of the cell. We compare and validate the model with experimental measurements from microfluidic devices, providing relevant mechanistic conclusions into the effects of changes in cellular stiffness on migration efficiency.