Activation of beating of cardiac clusters through mechanical loading and study of synchronization mechanisms

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This is the second phase of a cooperative project studying the response of clusters of cardiac cells to mechanical loading. The focus of the second phase of the project will be understanding and modeling of synchronization mechanisms of cells of a single cluster under mechanical loading; of two clusters (cardiac spheroids) with mechanical communication; as well as three and more clusters. Further, the possible synergy of electrical and mechanical communication will be elucidated and implemented in a corresponding multi-field model of the active medium. The role of damage of inter-cell communication and of regeneration will be studied experimentally and theoretically, the latter being an important goal for medical applications.Experimental study will be carried out at the Yokohama National University and theoretical modeling at TU Berlin. Modeling will be done using the Method of Dimensionality Reduction. Comparison of both studies will be used for validation of the model and for parameter identification. Using a modification of the experimental set-up, the interrelation of mechanical loading of clusters and possible electrical fields will be studied and implemented first into a continuum model of the medium and then into a contact model. A further important work package will be devoted to irreversible changes in properties of the medium – both damages and regeneration which will be studied experimentally, theoretically and numerically using the Boundary Element Method (TU Berlin) and Finite Element Method (Yokohama National University).