Dinâmica de sistemas de partículas bidimensionais sob constrições físicas: contribuição da força de atrito para o movimento celular

Abstract

Recent studies on the mechanomorphogenesis of human embryonic stem cells (hESC), human neural progenitor cells (hNPC), and the migration of glioblastoma cells in constricted environments have highlighted the importance of mechanical effects in cellular dynamics. In this dissertation, we investigate the mechanical response of a particle-based system designed to mimic the migration of glioblastoma cells within confined microchannels. An open-source molecular dynamics code was adapted and implemented to analyze the spatial evolution of the system’s center of mass, with particular emphasis on the contribution of friction forces to cellular motion. Different particle geometries were considered, including a linear arrangement, a closed circular structure, two concentric circles, and a composite cell model consisting of an outer membrane, an inner membrane, and actin filament networks. Cellular motion was characterized by computing the center of mass at each time step using the particle positions and masses obtained after numerical integration of the equations of motion. The results were compared with predictions derived from Newton’s second law, assuming that the center of mass of a particle system moves as if the total mass were concentrated at that point and all external forces acted directly upon it. The analysis provides insights into the role of geometry and friction in the dynamics of confined cellular migration.