Simulations of Stem Cell Spreading on Nanopatterned Ligands Using Simple Grid-Based Model Combined with Two-Dimensional Monte Carlo Method Achmad Zacky Fairuza (a*), Sparisoma Viridi (b,c), Suprijadi (b,c)
a) Master Program on Nanotechnology, Graduate School, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jalan Ganesha 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
*fairuza.zacky1[at]gmail.com
b) Physics Study Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jalan Ganesha 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
c) Research Center of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Institut Teknologi Bandung, Jalan Ganesha 10, Bandung 40132, Indonesia
Abstract
Stem cell differentiation can be affected by nanopatterned ligands on the substrate to which the cells attach. This is predicted to occur due to the phenomenon of focal adhesion, where on the cell surface there are integrins that act as receptors and bind to ligands on the substrate. This process then affects the mechanical signals that determine the fate of the cell. One of the differences in cell differentiation is characterized by cell spreading. For this reason, here we create a simple grid-based model combined with two-dimensional Monte Carlo method to simulate the cell spreading phenomenon in nanopatterned ligands. In this model, we use square grid with the size of 15 nm per grid and approximately 3000 receptors in a single cell. The grids can be occupied by integrin receptors, ligands, or the bounded receptor-ligand. Integrin receptors will be able to move in a limited manner and interact with immobilized nanopatterned ligands. Reported experiment has shown that the difference in the distribution pattern and the distance between the ligands on the substrate affect the direction of stem cell differentiation. Therefore, the parameters tested in this model are the distance between the ligands in the range of 70 nm to 150 nm, the distribution pattern of the ligands, and the flexibility of the receptor movement. We hope that our model could show the differences in the shape and size of the cell spreading at different parameter configurations. This result will also be compared to reported observational result for further analysis.
