Extending the Cellular Potts Model with cytoskeleton-nucleus interaction

Bachiri, Luca (2025) Extending the Cellular Potts Model with cytoskeleton-nucleus interaction. Bachelor's Thesis, Physics.

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Abstract

Metastatic cancer is one of the most prevalent forms of cancer plaguing the field of medicine today. As a result, developing effective treatments for metastasis is of great importance. The first phase of metastasis is called invasion and it involves the movement of cancer cells through the extracellular matrix (ECM) towards the bloodstream. To develop a treatment which stops this phase, a thorough understanding of cell motility is required. To that end, this thesis aims to develop this understanding through the use of an extension to the Cellular Potts Model (CPM). This discrete lattice-based model is typically used for morphogenesis of tumors but has also been used for cell motility. However, one of the main limitations of existing research is the lack of force transduction from the cell membrane to the nucleus by the cytoskeleton. In this thesis, the cytoskeleton was implemented into the model through the use of filament work terms. These terms link the nucleus to the cytoplasm with a mechanical basis which presently has no mechanistic basis. In doing so, the CPM was implemented into Python. The base CPM allowed for cell movement through a funnel barrier simulating the endothelial layer while the filament model has limitations in movement. We will discuss current limitations of the model and provide suggestions for future work.

Item Type:	Thesis (Bachelor's Thesis)
Supervisor name:	Onck, P.R.
Degree programme:	Physics
Thesis type:	Bachelor's Thesis
Language:	English
Date Deposited:	07 Jul 2025 12:06
Last Modified:	07 Jul 2025 12:06
URI:	https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/35901

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