Figure 6.

Computational model for cell migration through organized dense connective tissues. (a) Schematic showing a cell nucleus above a narrow slot in the ECM. The wall of the slot consists of a layer of digested ECM (light blue) that is softer than the undigested ECM outside (dark blue). (b) Simulation of a nucleus moving through a slot. The insets are contour plots showing the von-Mises stresses at the initial, critical, and migrated phases of cell entry. The scaled resistance force on the nucleus ($F/{\mu }_m{r}_n^2$) is plotted as as a function of the scaled vertical displacement of the nucleus ($u_n/r_n$). (c) 3D heat map shows the scaled critical force ($F_c/r_n^2{\mu }_m$) and (d) nuclear aspect ratio as a function of the scaled digested ECM modulus (${\mu }_d/{\mu }_m$) and the scaled half width of the digested ECM ($L/r_n$). Insets show the von-Mises stresses of the nucleus at the critical force and top down views of the nucleus within the slot.