The interplay between biomechanics and cell kinetics explains the spatial pattern in liver fibrosis
Published in bioRxiv, 2025
Abstract: We developed a digital twin model simulating septal and biliary liver fibrosis patterns. The mechanism demonstrates that ECM distribution results from the pattern of cell death zones and biomechanical compression due to cell proliferation. The model integrates hepatocytes, stellate cells, macrophages, bile duct cells, collagen fibers, and cell communication to explain how healthy hepatocytes proliferate to compensate for losses while mechanical compression shapes collagen distribution into characteristic wall-like structures.
Recommended citation: Zhao J, Hammad S, de Langlard M, Erdoesi P, Li Y, Van Liedekerke P, Buttenschön A, Winkler M, Körschner SW, Reiners-Koch PS, Grabe N, Hartleben B, Wolf SD, Bode J, Hengstler JG, Ebert MP, Dooley S, Drasdo D bioRxiv (2025)