In silico analogues of epithelial cell growth and morphogenesis

We present simulation models of in vitro cell culture systems and their application in systematic exploration of the simulated cell growth mechanisms and their impairment in epithelial morphogenesis. Our referent systems are in vitro cell cultures commonly used for studies of morphogenetic processes that underlie the development of the embryo and its organ systems. We have constructed discrete event, agent-based models with agent rules that capture posited processes of cell proliferation and death involved in the formation of multicellular epithelial structures such as cysts and tubules. We report on their application in exploring the phenotypic consequences of disabling the simulated processes, and show that varying degrees of the disablement cause different growth patterns to emerge, including a cancer-like phenotype.