TEXAS A&M INSTITUTE OF DATA SCIENCE

Digital Twin Lab

DTL Virtual Workshop: Multiscale modeling of articular cartilage: from knee joint mechanics to cellular mechano-transduction for osteoarthritis and tissue engineering applications

October 8th, 2024

9:00 am – 10:00 am CT

This is an online only event
Online via Zoom:
Meeting ID: 98809337185
Passcode: 631282

Zoom Link

Speaker: Satanik Mukherjee, PhD candidate, KU Leuven, Belgium

Host: Suparno Bhattacharyya, Assistant Research Scientist, TAMIDS

Abstract: Optimum mechanical signals are necessary to maintain the health of chondrocytes, the primary cells in articular cartilage. Abnormal mechanical signals can lead to departure from the stable chondrocyte homeostasis and a switch to hypertrophy, as observed in osteoarthritis (OA). For cartilage tissue engineering (CTE), the progenitor cells must be subjected to suitable mechanical loading to stimulate chondrogenic differentiation and subsequently cartilage production. Both OA and CTE are multifactorial processes that involve the interplay of mechanical and biochemical factors at different length scales. In this context, multiscale in silico models can provide unique insights in unraveling this complex interplay, saving time, cost and reducing animal experimentation. In this talk, a multiscale model of the human knee joint will be discussed. The model couples multiscale mechanics of articular cartilage from joint to cell level with intracellular processes triggered by mechanical signals using a gene/protein regulatory network for mechanotransduction (Lesage et al. BMC Biology, 2022). Furthermore, to validate the different length-scales of the multiscale model, experiments performed in a cartilage-on-chip microfluidic platform (Paggi et.al. Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical, 2020) will be discussed. The developed multiscale model has huge potential in not only unraveling the role of mechanical loading in progression of OA but also to delineate the role of mechanical loading in cartilage tissue engineering by quantifying the properties of osteochondral implants that can provide appropriate mechanical stimulation to the embedded progenitor cells.

Biography: Satanik is a dedicated bioengineering researcher with a strong interdisciplinary background in biomechanics, computational modeling, mechanobiology and tissue engineering. His journey began with undergraduate research in multibody dynamics at Jadavpur University, India, followed by a Master’s at IIT Delhi, where he developed finite element models for brain surgery simulation. Motivated by the impact of bioengineering on healthcare, he is currently pursuing a PhD at KU Leuven, Belgium, focusing on the mechanobiology of chondrocytes using a combination of in silico and in vitro methods, including a multi-scale knee joint model and cartilage-on-chip experiments. His work has garnered recognition through awards, such as the ESB Student Award. His research has been supported by significant grants, including a Marie-Sklodowska Curie Doctoral Fellowship. Beyond research, he contributes actively to the scientific community through leadership roles in academic societies and as a reviewer, reflecting his commitment to advancing tissue engineering and regenerative medicine globally.