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1. Towards spheroid-omics

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-021-01311-3  

   Downing, Timothy L. (November 2021, Nature Methods)
2. The spheroid CME model in EUHFORIA

   https://doi.org/10.1051/swsc/2024011  

   Scolini, Camilla; Palmerio, Erika (January 2024, Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate)

   Predictions of coronal mass ejection (CME) propagation and impact in the heliosphere, in either research or operational settings, are usually performed by employing magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) models. Within such simulations, the CME ejecta is often described as a hydrodynamic pulse that lacks an internal magnetic field and is characterized by a spherical geometry – leading to the so-called cone CME model. White-light observations of CMEs in the corona, however, reveal that the morphology of these structures resembles more closely that of a croissant, i.e., exhibiting an elongated cross-section of their front. It follows that, in space weather forecasts, the assumption of a spherical geometry may result in erroneous predictions of CME impacts in the heliosphere in terms of hit/miss and arrival time/speed, especially in the case of flank encounters. A spheroid CME model is expected to provide a more accurate description of the elongated morphology that is often observed in CMEs. In this paper, we describe the implementation and initial validation of the spheroid CME model within the MHD EUropean Heliospheric FORecasting Information Asset (EUHFORIA) code. We perform EUHFORIA simulations of an idealized CME as well as a “real” event to compare the spheroidal model with the traditional cone one. We show how the initial ejecta geometry can lead to substantially different estimates in terms of CME impact, arrival time/speed, and geoeffectiveness, especially with increasing distance to the CME nose. 

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3. Cell spheroid creation by transcytotic intercellular gelation

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-023-01401-7  

   Guo, Jiaqi; Wang, Fengbin; Huang, Yimeng; He, Hongjian; Tan, Weiyi; Yi, Meihui; Egelman, Edward H.; Xu, Bing (September 2023, Nature Nanotechnology)
4. Enhanced extracellular matrix remodeling due to embedded spheroid fluidization

   https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/ade81e  

   Zhang, Tao; Ameen, Shabeeb; Ghosh, Sounok; Kim, Kyungeun; Pandey, Mrinal; Cheung, Brian_C H; Thanh, Minh; Patteson, Alison E; Wu, Mingming; Schwarz, J M (July 2025, New Journal of Physics)

   Abstract Embedding a collective of tumor cells, i.e. a tumor spheroid, in a fibrous environment, such as a collagen network, provides an essentialin vitroplatform to investigate the biophysical mechanisms of tumor invasion. To predict new mechanisms, we develop a three-dimensional computational model of an embedded spheroid using a vertex model, with cells represented as deformable polyhedrons, mechanically coupled to a fiber network via active linker springs. As the linker springs actively contract, the fiber network remodels. As we tune the rheology of the spheroid and the fiber network stiffness, we find that both factors affect the remodeling of the fiber network with fluid-like spheroids densifying and radially realigning the fiber network more on average than solid-like spheroids but only for a range of intermediate fiber network stiffnesses. Our predictions are supported by experimental studies comparing non-tumorigenic MCF10A spheroids and malignant MDA-MB-231 spheroids embedded in collagen networks. The spheroid rheology-dependent effects are the result of cellular motility generating spheroid shape fluctuations. These shape fluctuations lead to emergent feedback between the spheroid and the fiber network to further remodel the fiber network. This emergent feedback occurs only at intermediate fiber network stiffness since at low fiber network stiffness, the mechanical response of the coupled system is dominated by the spheroid and for high fiber network stiffness, the mechanical response is dominated by the fiber network. We are therefore able to quantify the regime of optimal spheroid-fiber network mechanical reciprocity. Our results uncover intricate morphological-mechanical interplay between an embedded spheroid and its surrounding fiber network with both spheroid contractile strengthandspheroid shape fluctuations playing important roles in the pre-invasion stages of tumor invasion. 

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5. Enzymatic self-assembly of short peptides for cell spheroid formation

   https://doi.org/10.1039/d4tb01154f  

   Guo, Jiaqi; Tan, Weiyi; Xu, Bing (November 2024, Journal of Materials Chemistry B)

   Biphenyl-capped phosphopeptides instruct cell aggregation into spheroids, with minimal effective concentrations below 10 μM. Key factors driving morphogenesis include the self-assembly ability and dynamic shapeshifting of the peptide assemblies. 

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