Data-driven traction force microscopy in 3D collagen hydrogels

bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)

Abstract

Abstract Three-dimensional traction force microscopy (3DTFM) in fibrillar hydrogels typically models the extracellular matrix as a continuum. We present data-driven 3DTFM (DD-TFM), which reconstructs fiber networks from confocal images and models them as discrete fiber networks mechanically calibrated by shear rheology. We validate DD-TFM in silico and apply it to endothelial cells, quantifying cell-generated forces and matrix stresses at the fiber level. Compared with continuum TFM DD-TFM reveals network-guided matrix deformations, shifting 3DTFM toward fiber-resolved force calculation.

Authors 12

1. Jorge Barrasa Fano corresponding

   VIB.AI · KU Leuven

   Affiliation as printed

   Biomechanics division, Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

   Laboratory of Computational Biology, VIB Center for AI and Computational Biology, Leuven, Belgium

   KU Leuven

2. Laurens Kimps

   KU Leuven

   Affiliation as printed

   Biomechanics division, Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

   KU Leuven

3. Alejandro Apolinar–Fernández

   Universidad de Sevilla

   Affiliation as printed

   Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain

   Universidad de Sevilla

4. Débora do Carmo Linhares

   Universidad de Sevilla · KU Leuven

   Affiliation as printed

   Biomechanics division, Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

   Molecular Imaging and Photonics, Department of Chemistry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

   Universidad de Sevilla

5. Iain Muntz Aachen Department of Biological and Soft Matter Leiden Institute of Physics (LION)

   Leiden University · Leiden University Medical Center · Delft University of Technology

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Biological and Soft Matter, Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, the Netherlands

   Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands

   Leiden Institute of Physics

6. Elías Núñez-Ortega

   Delft University of Technology · KU Leuven

   Affiliation as printed

   Biomechanics division, Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

   Delft University of Technology

7. Nele Vaes

   Universidad de Sevilla · KU Leuven

   Affiliation as printed

   Biomechanics division, Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

   PKD Research Group, KU Leuven, Belgium

   University of Seville

8. Apeksha Shapeti

   Universidad de Sevilla · KU Leuven

   Affiliation as printed

   Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain

   KU Leuven

9. Ruth Cardinaels
   Affiliation as printed

   Processing and Performance of Materials, Mechanical Engineering Department TU Eindhoven, The Netherlands

   Soft Matter, Rheology and Technology (SMaRT), Chemical Engineering Department KU Leuven, KU Leuven, Belgium

10. Gijsje Hendrika Koenderink

    Delft University of Technology

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Bionanoscience, Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands

11. Jose A. Sanz‐Herrera

    Universidad de Sevilla

    Affiliation as printed

    Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería, Universidad de Sevilla, Spain

12. Hans Van Oosterwyck

    KU Leuven

    Affiliation as printed

    Biomechanics division, Department of Mechanical Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium

    Prometheus, Division of Skeletal Tissue Engineering, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium