Cell adhesion modeling: effect of leukocyte rheology

Adhesion of leukocytes to the blood vessel is a critical event in inflammation and plays an important role in the immune system. Understanding the adhesion and rheological behavior of leukocytes is essential not only for the comprehension of microcirculation but also for understanding their function in health and disease. Several models have been proposed but do not combine molecular and cellular information. A multi-scale computation approach for studying the effect of leukocyte rheology on the adhesion process is presented in this paper. At the cellular level, a continuum model satisfying the momentum and mass continuity equations is used. At the receptor-ligand, a bond is mechanically represented by a spring. Communication between the macro- and micro-scale model is performed during the computation. To assess the role of the nucleus, the cell is first modeled as a liquid drop and then as compound drop. We found that cell viscosity and interfacial tension have both profound effects on the cellular adhesion.