An in vitro-in silico interface platform for spatiotemporal analysis of pattern formation in collective epithelial cells

A multicellular organization is a complex resulting from the coordinated migration of cells to form a specific pattern. The directionality of migration is governed by the mechanical and molecular dynamics of factors secreted from the cells. The mechanism underlying pattern formation is too complex to unveil by culture experiments alone. A mathematical model could provide a powerful tool for elucidating the mechanism of pattern formation by computing the molecular dynamics, which are difficult to visualize by culture experiments. However, there tends to be a gap between mathematical models and experimental research due to incongruity between the idealized conditions of the model and the experimental results. This paper presents an in vitro-in silico interface platform for elucidating the logic of multicellular pattern formation. Two-dimensional collective cell pattern formation was developed using normal human bronchial epithelial cells. Then, geometrical control of collective cells followed by feedback iteration was used to bridge the gap between the mathematical model and in vitro experiments. The mechanisms underlying the pattern formation of bronchial epithelial cells were evaluated using a reaction-diffusion model. The results indicated that differences in the diffusion rates of the activator and inhibitor determine the direction of collective cell migration to form a specific pattern.