Agent-based Modeling of Angiogenesis within Biomaterial Scaffolds

This book highlights the development of a multi-layer agent-based framework for modeling angiogenesis within 3D biodegradable biomaterial scaffolds. Throughout this computational study, experimental methods have complemented model development by providing information for determining model parameters and results for validating simulation outcomes. This integration of simulation results and experimental studies facilitated development of a simulation framework that can be used to improve blood vessel formation in engineered tissues. While there has been significant interest in the therapeutic control of angiogenesis in tissue engineering scaffolds, every hypothesis made or every therapeutic approach proposed requires being tested using experimental laboratory methods and time consuming and costly animal models. The developed computational framework will assist in designing and testing pro-angiogenic scaffolds that support rapid and extensive vascularization, providing an efficient in silico testing environment for evaluating new ideas, without the need for performing costly experiments.