Agent-based modelling of Vasculogenesis*

Vasculogensis is the first stage of blood vessel formation where anigioblasts differentiate into endothelial and other auxiliary cells leading to de novo formation of vascular networks in the presence of growth factors. Efficient transportation of nutrients to tissues and organs require optimized and robust vascular networks, but it is unclear how single cell behavior affects the self-assembled formation of such networks. We present an agent-based model of vascular network formation in which single cell properties like cellular adhesion, anisotropic propulsion and the presence of multiple cell types and proliferation can lead to a variety of network morphologies that we compare quantitatively with in vitro experiments. We also explore feedback between the vascular network properties and single cell parameters to gain insight into the evolution of vascular networks.