Modeling erythroblastic islands: Using a hybrid model to assess the function of central macrophage
2012
Abstract The production and regulation of red blood cells,
erythropoiesis, occurs in the bone marrow where erythroid cells proliferate and differentiate within particular structures, called
erythroblasticislands. A typical structure of these islands consists of a macrophage (
white cell) surrounded by immature erythroid cells (progenitors), with more mature cells on the periphery of the island, ready to leave the bone marrow and enter the bloodstream. A hybrid model, coupling a
continuous model(ordinary differential equations) describing intracellular regulation through competition of two key proteins, to a discrete spatial model describing
cell–cell interactions, with growth factor diffusion in the medium described by a
continuous model(partial differential equations), is proposed to investigate the role of the central macrophage in normal
erythropoiesis. Intracellular competition of the two proteins leads the erythroid cell to either proliferation, differentiation, or death by apoptosis. This approach allows considering spatial aspects of
erythropoiesis, involved for instance in the occurrence of cellular interactions or the access to external factors, as well as dynamics of intracellular and extracellular scales of this complex cellular process, accounting for stochasticity in cell cycle durations and orientation of the mitotic spindle. The analysis of the model shows a strong effect of the central macrophage on the stability of an
erythroblasticisland, when assuming the macrophage releases pro-survival cytokines. Even though it is not clear whether or not
erythroblasticisland stability must be required, investigation of the model concludes that stability improves responsiveness of the model, hence
stressing outthe potential relevance of the central macrophage in normal
erythropoiesis.
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