A sensitivity analysis for tissue development by varying model parameters and input variables

Phenomenological models can help in the study of the relation between mass transport and cell growth in three-dimensional porous scaffolds, which is one of the main challenges of tissue engineering. Thus, using a model for cell proliferation and glucose diffusion and consumption, the dimensionless parameters and input variables were varied to determinate those which affect the model output the most. The simulations were performed with the software OpenFOAM, and the results were compared through a sensitivity analysis for the parameters. It was observed that the model is more sensitive to the dimensionless parameters related to cell proliferation, death, and nutrient uptake, and that dimensionless initial glucose concentration and scaffold porosity had a higher impact on cell volume fraction and on dimensionless glucose concentration. When compared to data from experimental studies, the computational results showed that the studied model is capable of representing the phenomena involved in tissue development in vitro.