Modeling of circulating tumor cell (CTC) and platelet interaction in capillaries

Abstract

The main function of platelets is to bind to the sites of the damaged vessels to stop bleeding. However, in cancer patients, activated platelets adhere to circulating tumor cells and accelerate metastatic spreading. To examine the biophysical conditions needed for CTC arrest, we use a custom-built viscoelastic solid–fluid 2D computational model that enables us to calculate, under physiological conditions, the limiting cases for which CTC will pass through the narrowed capillary with platelet attached to the capillary wall. By exploring the parameter space, a relationship between the CTC material properties (Young’s modulus) and the platelet size, the time in contact between the CTC and platelet will be determined.