Physics of lumen growth

Significance

The development of intercellular cavities (lumens) is a ubiquitous mechanism to form complex tissue structures in organisms. The generation of Ciona Notochord, the formation of Zebrafish vasculature, or the formation of bile canaliculi between hepatic cells constitute a few examples. Lumen growth is governed by water intake that usually results from the creation of a salt concentration difference (osmotic gradients) between the inside and the outside of the lumen. During morphogenesis or in diseases, lumens can also leak due to improper maturation of the cell junctions that seal them. In this paper, we theoretically describe different conditions and dynamical regimes of lumen growth based on the balance of osmotic pressure, fluid intake, and paracellular leak.