Cell-based computational modeling of vascular morphogenesis using Tissue Simulation Toolkit

Computational modeling has become a widely used tool for unraveling the mechanisms of higher level cooperative cell behavior during vascular morphogenesis. However, experimenting with published simulation models or adding new assumptions to those models can be daunting for novice and even for experienced computational scientists. Here, we present a step-by-step, practical tutorial for building cell-based simulations of vascular morphogenesis using the Tissue Simulation Toolkit (TST). The TST is a freely available, open-source C++ library for developing simulations with the two-dimensional cellular Potts model, a stochastic, agent-based framework to simulate collective cell behavior. We will show the basic use of the TST to simulate and experiment with published simulations of vascular network formation. Then, we will present step-by-step instructions and explanations for building a recent simulation model of tumor angiogenesis. Demonstrated mechanisms include cell-cell adhesion, chemotaxis, cell elongation, haptotaxis, and haptokinesis.