Mathematical modelling of tissue formation on the basis of ordinary differential equations

Abstract

A mathematical model is proposed for describing the population dynamics of cellular clusters on the basis of systems of the first-order ordinary differential equations. The main requirement for the construction of model equations was to obtain a formal biological justification for their derivation, as well as proof of their correctness. In addition, for all the parameters involved in the model equations, the presence of biological meaning was guaranteed, as well as the possibility of evaluating them either during the experiment or by using models of intracellular biochemistry. In the desired model the intercellular exchange of a special signal molecules was chosen as the main mechanism for coordination of the tissue growth and new types selection during cell division. For simplicity, all signalling molecules that can create cells of the same type were not considered separately in the model, but were instead combined in a single complex of molecules: a ‘generalized signal’. Such an approach allows us to eventually assign signals as a functions of cell types and introduce their effects in the form of matrices in the models, where the rows are responsible for the types of cells receiving the signals, and the columns for the types of cells emitting signals.

Keywords

• morphogenesis modeling
• ordinary differential equations
• system biology
• hierarchical models