Nathanael Sovitzky, “Development of Patient Specific Cancer Tumor Models”
Mentor: Mahsa Dabagh, Biomedical Engineering, Engineering & Applied Science (College of)
Poster #45
Breast cancer remains one of the most prevalent and complex malignancies, requiring advanced computational models to better understand its mechanical behavior and progression. In this study, we employ the Large-scale Atomic/Molecular Massively Parallel Simulator (LAMMPS) in conjunction with the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method to simulate the mechanical interactions of breast cancer cells within a tumor microenvironment. The SPH method, a mesh-free particle-based approach, is well-suited for modeling biological tissues due to its ability to handle large deformations, fluid-structure interactions, and non-linear mechanical properties inherent in tumor growth and metastasis. Our simulation framework integrates viscoelastic and hydrodynamic properties of breast cancer cells to study their mechanical responses under different conditions, such as extracellular matrix stiffness, intercellular adhesion, and applied mechanical forces. The results provide insights into the biomechanical factors influencing tumor progression and reveal how mechanical cues drive cancer cell invasion. By leveraging LAMMPS and SPH, we establish a computational platform that can be extended for drug testing, therapeutic interventions, and optimization of treatment strategies targeting tumor mechanics. Our study underscores the importance of physics-based modeling in cancer research and highlights the potential of SPH simulations for advancing personalized medicine approaches in oncology.