MMoBEER · Mathematical models of bone externally excited remodelling

Mathematical models of bone externally excited remodelling

The interesting phenomena of bone adaptation to external loading are being addressed by mathematical modelling of externally excited bone cell communication processes. In an adult organism, the adaptation process predominantly depends on bone cellular organization and communication processes that are highly driven by external mechanical loading. How physical forces and changes in the mechanical properties of cells and tissues contribute to development, cell differentiation, physiology, and disease, in general, is a major interest of mechanobiology. Mathematical modelling and in-silico experiments underpinned with mechanobiology discoveries of mechanosensing, recognition, transduction and down streaming of external signals on the level of bone bаsic multi-cellular unit (BMU) were the main objectives of the project. The project develops computational analytical models in order to address and better understand mechanotransduction - the molecular mechanisms by which bone cells sense and respond to mechanical signals. At least three different bone cell lineages loaded by the external signal together with the numerous parameters of their biochemical secretory activities are involved in this complex process of mutual interactions. This complexity can be better understood and predicted by the employment of the developed mathematical model which is capable to cover a number of the necessary parameters and aspects of the process and give the results that can predict which kind of the external signal is the most desirable for healthy bone cell activities when the bone resorption and formation contents are in balance. Once verified a mathematical model is also a good tool in personalized medicine since the calculation is easy for an entirely different set of input parameters belongs to the specific conditions of patients. The collaboration between in-silico and in-vitro experiments is inevitable for further success of the field. With this research, we wish to emphasize the importance, reliability and credibility of mathematical models which are a great way of cementing biological intuition. Specifically, they provide causative mechanisms linking inputs and outputs and illuminating underlying assumptions that determine a biological system’s dynamics. Finally, they offer a means of predicting new outcomes, as well as highlighting the most sensitive modelled components, resulting in the construction of new experimental hypotheses and experimentations that are more efficient.

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