Numerical Modelling of Tumor Transport in Fluid Flows

Abstract

Cancer metastasis leads to the transport and widespread of malignant cells from the primary tumor to other parts of the body by exploiting body fluids (lymphatic fluid, bloodstream, and interstitial fluid). While the transport of a single cancer cell in fluid flow has been studied in the past, it is unclear how a group of cancer cells (tumor) migrate under the impact of hydrodynamic force in vasculature. In this work, we address this knowledge gap by investigating the migration process of a cancer spheroid tumor in a micro-channel with a constriction using both experimental and computational methods. The Dissipative Particle Dynamics method was employed to simulate the mechanical components of the spheroid tumor and immersed boundary method is used for interaction of spheroid with the surrounding fluid. Our results suggest that the mechanical response of the spheroid tumor differs from a single cell. Our computational framework provides new capabilities for designing bioengineering devices for cell manipulation.