@Article{cmes.2014.098.279, AUTHOR = {V.B.Shim , K. Mithraratne}, TITLE = {Activation Pattern of Nuclear Factor-kB in Skin after Mechanical Stretch – a Multiscale Modeling Approach}, JOURNAL = {Computer Modeling in Engineering \& Sciences}, VOLUME = {98}, YEAR = {2014}, NUMBER = {3}, PAGES = {279--294}, URL = {http://www.techscience.com/CMES/v98n3/27158}, ISSN = {1526-1506}, ABSTRACT = {The activation of NF-kB is an important precursor in developing melanoma. However the role of mechanical stimulation in the NF-kB activation has not been studied. We used a multiscale computational modeling approach to investigate the role of mechanical stimulation and the skin tissue internal structures in the activation of NF-kB. Our model is made up of three levels – 1) the macro level where a FE model of the Zygomaticus major muscle was developed; 2) the meso level where a micro FE model of the skin block using a sample from human cadaver was developed; 3) the cell level where a system of ODEs were used to describe the activation of NF-kB under mechanical stimulation. Our results indicate that the activation of NF-kB is highly dependent on the skin geometry and internal structures as well as the type of mechanical stimulation. In particular, our results showed that the flattening of the dermal-epidermal junction due to aging may play an important role in the activation of NF-kB. The future works include the extending of the current multiscale model to the whole face to quantitatively analyze the influence mechanical stimulation and tissue properties on the activation of NF-kB pathways.}, DOI = {10.32604/cmes.2014.098.279} }