The formation of de novo blood vessels has been implicated in a long list of human disorders, including cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative diseases. The formation of microvasculature has important implications in diagnosis and treatment. Research has been done on angiogenesis models, combining CPU-based Cellular Potts model in 3D with medical imaging techniques and a GPU accelerated fluid dynamics system of equations. From this, individual-based angiogenesis simulation can be created. The use of GPU provides an increase in simulation speed and balances resources.
Micro-CT scans of resin cast rat brains are segmented to remove reconstruction artefacts and imported to instantiate nascent endothelial cells in a homogenous 3D grid representing the simulation area. A growth factor is added, and given diffusion properties over the course of simulation.
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