Motion of a tumour cell under the blood flow at low Reynolds number in a curved microvessel

Investigation of the flowing behaviours of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) under the blood flow is of fundamental importance for understanding haematogenous metastasis. In this study, the motion of a CTC at low flow rates in microvessels were simulated by dissipative particle dynamics combined with a spring-based network model to characterise cell deformation. The effects of vessel curvature, cell deformability and the presence of RBCs on the motion of an initially adherent tumour cell were investigated. The results suggested that at low Reynolds number, the viscous force plays a dominant role and the curved vessel would initiate the formation of more simultaneous bonds. And, the shear force acted on the softer tumour cell would induce large contact area and further stimulate the formation of more ligand-receptor bond numbers. Moreover, to investigate the non-Newtonian nature of the blood flow on tumour cell motion, the blood was regarded as a suspension of RBCs. With the presence of RBC suspensions, the collision between the tumour cell and RBCs increases the drag force and promotes the disassociation of the CTC from the vessel wall.

Automated summary

This study investigated the flowing behaviours of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) under blood flow, focusing on factors such as vessel curvature, cell deformability, and the presence of red blood cells (RBCs). The results showed that at low flow rates, viscous force and vessel curvature played important roles in the formation of bond numbers, while shear force on softer tumour cells stimulated the formation of more ligand-receptor bonds. Additionally, the presence of RBC suspensions increased drag force and promoted disassociation of CTCs from vessel walls.