Activation pattern of nuclear factor-kB in skin after mechanical stretch - A multiscale modeling approach

Abstract

The activation of NF-kB is an important precursor in developing melanoma. However the role of mechanical stimulation in the NF-kB activation has not been studied. We used a multiscale computational modeling approach to investigate the role of mechanical stimulation and the skin tissue internal structures in the activation of NF-kB. Our model is made up of three levels - 1) the macro level where a FE model of the Zygomaticus major muscle was developed; 2) the meso level where a micro FE model of the skin block using a sample from human cadaver was developed; 3) the cell level where a system of ODEs were used to describe the activation of NF-kB under mechanical stimulation. Our results indicate that the activation of NF-kB is highly dependent on the skin geometry and internal structures as well as the type of mechanical stimulation. In particular, our results showed that the flattening of the dermal-epidermal junction due to aging may play an important role in the activation of NF-kB. The future works include the extending of the current multiscale model to the whole face to quantitatively analyze the influence mechanical stimulation and tissue properties on the activation of NF-kB pathways. Copyright © 2014 Tech Science Press.