Simple cellular potts model of scratch assays on healthy and keloid fibroblasts driven by contact inhibition of locomotion

TY - JOUR

T1 - Simple cellular potts model of scratch assays on healthy and keloid fibroblasts driven by contact inhibition of locomotion

AU - Urcun, Stéphane

AU - El Mahi, Yasmin

AU - Eftimie, Raluca

AU - Dirand, Zélie

AU - Rolin, Gwenaël

AU - Bordas, Stéphane P.A.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2026 The Author(s)

PY - 2026/1/19

Y1 - 2026/1/19

N2 - In this study, we propose and validate a simple agent-based model to study cell-cell interactions and cell migration during in vitro scratch assays in the context of cutaneous fibrosis (keloid). For model parametrization, we collect data from in vitro experiments performed with healthy or keloid fibroblasts treated (or not) with type 1 or 2 macrophages secretome to mimic specific in vivo environments. All experiments were performed with mitomycin to inhibit cell proliferation, and subsequently isolate the sole contribution of migration to wound filling over time. The scratch assays are modeled within the cellular Potts model framework. The calibration process, via Levenberg-Maquart algorithm, gives a mean error of 4.53 ± 0.77% across the four modalities (healthy, control, M1 and M2 secretum) and the evaluation dataset gives a mean error of 10.55 ± 0.77%. With the help of this model, we test whether the hypothesis of contact inhibition of locomotion (CIL) can explain the movement of keloid fibroblasts. The simulation results and their comparison with the experimental data suggest that CIL might not characterize the movement of keloid fibroblasts, which is in contrast to the importance of CIL for the movement of healthy fibroblasts.

AB - In this study, we propose and validate a simple agent-based model to study cell-cell interactions and cell migration during in vitro scratch assays in the context of cutaneous fibrosis (keloid). For model parametrization, we collect data from in vitro experiments performed with healthy or keloid fibroblasts treated (or not) with type 1 or 2 macrophages secretome to mimic specific in vivo environments. All experiments were performed with mitomycin to inhibit cell proliferation, and subsequently isolate the sole contribution of migration to wound filling over time. The scratch assays are modeled within the cellular Potts model framework. The calibration process, via Levenberg-Maquart algorithm, gives a mean error of 4.53 ± 0.77% across the four modalities (healthy, control, M1 and M2 secretum) and the evaluation dataset gives a mean error of 10.55 ± 0.77%. With the help of this model, we test whether the hypothesis of contact inhibition of locomotion (CIL) can explain the movement of keloid fibroblasts. The simulation results and their comparison with the experimental data suggest that CIL might not characterize the movement of keloid fibroblasts, which is in contrast to the importance of CIL for the movement of healthy fibroblasts.

KW - Cellular potts model

KW - Contact inhibition of locomotion

KW - Fibroblast

KW - Keloid

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105028875890

U2 - 10.1016/j.jtbi.2025.112365

DO - 10.1016/j.jtbi.2025.112365

M3 - Article

C2 - 41565154

AN - SCOPUS:105028875890

SN - 0022-5193

VL - 622

SP - 1

EP - 11

JO - Journal of Theoretical Biology

JF - Journal of Theoretical Biology

M1 - 112365

ER -