Xue Shi-Lei, Lin Shao-Zhen, Li Bo, Feng Xi-Qiao
Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P R China.
Institute of Biomechanics and Medical Engineering, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, P R China.
J Theor Biol. 2017 Nov 21;433:49-56. doi: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2017.08.021. Epub 2017 Aug 30.
Mechanics plays a crucial role in the growth, development, and therapeutics of tumors. In this paper, a nonlinear poroelastic theory is established to describe the mechanical behaviors of solid tumors. The free-swollen state of a tumor is chosen as the reference state, which enables us to avoid pursuing a dry and stress-free state that is hard to achieve for living tissues. Our results reveal that the compression resistance of a tumor is primarily attributed to glycosaminoglycan (GAG) swelling, and the compactness of cell aggregates is found to affect tumor consolidation. Over-expressed GAGs and dense cell aggregates can stiffen the tumor, a remodeling mechanism that makes the tumor with higher elastic modulus than its surrounding host tissues. Glycosaminoglycan chains also influence the transient mechanical response of the tumor by modulating the tissue permeability. The theoretical results show good agreement with relevant experimental observations. This study may not only deepen our understanding of tumorigenesis but also provide cues for developing novel anticancer strategies.
力学在肿瘤的生长、发展和治疗中起着至关重要的作用。本文建立了一种非线性多孔弹性理论来描述实体肿瘤的力学行为。选择肿瘤的自由肿胀状态作为参考状态，这使我们能够避免追求对于活组织来说难以实现的干燥且无应力的状态。我们的结果表明，肿瘤的抗压性主要归因于糖胺聚糖（GAG）肿胀，并且发现细胞聚集体的致密性会影响肿瘤的固结。过度表达的GAG和密集的细胞聚集体会使肿瘤变硬，这是一种重塑机制，使得肿瘤具有比其周围宿主组织更高的弹性模量。糖胺聚糖链还通过调节组织渗透性来影响肿瘤的瞬态力学响应。理论结果与相关实验观察结果显示出良好的一致性。这项研究不仅可能加深我们对肿瘤发生的理解，还可能为开发新型抗癌策略提供线索。
