2024

  • Motchon YD, Sack KL, Sirry MS, Nchejane NJ, Abdalrahman T, Nagawa J, Kruger M, Pauwels E, Van Loo D, De Muynck A, Van Hoorebeke L, Davies NH, Franz T. In silico mechanics of stem cells intramyocardially transplanted with a biomaterial injectate for treatment of myocardial infarction. Cardiovasc Eng Tech, 2024, DOI: 10.1007/s13239-024-00734-1 [full-text, bioRxiv, data]
  • Nagawa J, Sack KL, Nchejane NJ, Motchon YD, Sirry MS, Kraus S, Davies NH, Ntusi NA, Franz T. Patient-specific in silico prediction of outcomes of partial continuous-flow LVAD treatment in peripartum cardiomyopathy. medRxiv, 2024, 2024.09.18.24313803 [medRxiv, data]
  • Shabangu MM, Blumenthal MJ, Saas DT, Lang DM, Schaefer G, Franz T. Endothelial cells infected with Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus display distinct viscoelasticity and morphology. bioRxiv, 2024, 2024.10.18.618233 [bioRxiv]

2023

  • Ahmed RK, Abdalrahman T, Davies NH, Vermolen F, Franz T. Mathematical model of mechano-sensing and mechanically induced collective motility of cells on planar elastic substrates. Biomech Model Mechanobiol, 2023, 22(3), 809-24 [full-text, bioRxiv, data]
  • Higgins G, Higgins F, Peres J, Lang DM, Abdalrahman T, Zaman MH, Prince S, Franz T. Intracellular mechanics and TBX3 expression jointly dictate the spreading mode of melanoma cells in 3D environments. Exp Cell Res, 2023, 428(2), 113633 [full-text, bioRxiv, data]
  • Kruse E, Abdalrahman T, Selhorst P, Franz T. Mathematical model for force and energy of virion-cell interactions during full engulfment in HIV: Impact of virion maturation and host cell morphology. Biomech Model Mechanobiol, 2023, 22(6), 1847-55 [full-text, bioRxiv, data]
  • Motchon YD, Sack KL, Sirry MS, Kruger M, Pauwels E, Van Loo D, De Muynck A, Van Hoorebeke L, Davies NH, Franz T. Effect of biomaterial stiffness on cardiac mechanics in a biventricular infarcted rat heart model with microstructural representation of an in situ intramyocardial injectate. Int J Numer Meth Bio, 2023, 39(5), e3693 [full-text, bioRxiv, data]
  • Msosa C, Abdalrahman T, Franz T. An analytical model describing the mechanics of erythrocyte membrane wrapping during active invasion of a plasmodium falciparum merozoite.J Mech Behav Biomed, 2023, 140, 105685 [full-text, bioRxiv, data]
  • Msosa C, Abdalrahman T, Franz T. A constitutive model for the remodelling erythrocyte membrane skeleton during the active invasion by the malaria merozoite. bioRxiv, 2023, 544728 [bioRxiv, data]
  • Sack KL, Mandel N, Pugno NM, Bezuidenhout D, Limbert G, Moscato F, Davies NH, Franz T, Abdalrahman T. Micromechanical homogenization of a hydrogel-filled electrospun scaffold for tissue-engineered epicardial patching of the infarcted heart - A feasibility study. Meccanica, 2023, 58(8), 1641-55 [full-text, data]

2022

  • Kiwanuka M, Higgins G, Ngcobo S, Nagawa J, Lang DM, Zaman MH, Davies NH, Franz T. Effect of paclitaxel treatment on cellular mechanics and morphology of human oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma in 2D and 3D environments. Integr Biol, 2022, 14(6), 137-49 [full-text, bioRxiv, data]
  • Ngwangwa H, Nemavhola F, Pandelani T, Msibi M, Mabuda I, Davies N, Franz T. Determination of cross-directional and cross-wall variations of passive biaxial mechanical properties of rat myocardia. Processes, 2022, 10(4), 629 [full-text, data]

2021

  • Abdalrahman T, Davies NH Franz T. In silico stress fibre content affects peak strain in cytoplasm and nucleus but not in membrane for uniaxial substrate stretch. Med Biol Eng Comp, 2021, 59, 1933-44 [full-text, data, bioRxiv]
  • Higgins G, Kim JE, Ferruzzi J, Abdalrahman T, Franz T, Zaman MH. An exploratory study on the role of the stiffness of breast cancer cells in their detachment from spheroids and migration in 3D collagen matrices. bioRxiv, 2021, 2021.01.21.427639 [bioRxiv]

2020

  • Chapman R, van Diepen M, Galant S, Kruse E, Margolin E, Ximba P, Hermanus T, Moore P, Douglass N, Williamson A-L, Rybicki E. Immunogenicity of HIV-1 vaccines expressing chimeric envelope glycoproteins on the surface of pr55 gag virus-like particles. Vaccines, 2020, 8(1), 54 [open access]
  • Hemmler A, Lin A, Thierfelder N, Franz T, Gee MW, Bezuidenhout D. Customized stent-grafts for endovascular aneurysm repair with challenging necks: A numerical proof of concept. Int J Numer Meth Bio, 2020, 36(4), e3316 [full-text, pre-print]
  • Higgins G, Peres J, Abdalrahman T, Zaman MH, Lang D, Prince S, Franz T. Cytoskeletal tubulin competes with actin to increase deformability of metastatic melanoma cells. Exp Cell Res, 2020, 394(2), 112154 [full-text, bioRxiv, data]
  • Krynauw H, Buescher J, Koehne J, Verrijt L, Limbert G, Davies NH, Bezuidenhout D, Franz T. Tissue ingrowth markedly reduces mechanical anisotropy and stiffness in fibre direction of highly aligned electrospun polyurethane scaffolds. Cardiovasc Eng Tech, 2020, 11(4), 456–68 [full-text, bioRxiv, data]
  • Krynauw H, Omar R, Koehne J, Limbert G, Davies NH, Bezuidenhout D, Franz T. Electrospun polyester-urethane scaffold preserves mechanical properties and exhibits strain stiffening during in situ tissue ingrowth and degradation. SN Applied Science, 2020, 2(5), article 953, 1-12 [open access, data]
  • Sack KL, Aliotta E, Choy JS, Ennis DB, Davies NH, Franz T, Kassab GS, Guccione JM. Intra-myocardial alginate hydrogel injection acts as a left ventricular mid-wall constraint in swine. Acta Biomater, 2020, 111, 170-80 [full-text]

2019

  • Kohn JC, Abdalrahman T, Sack KL, Reinhart-King CA, Franz T. Cell focal adhesion clustering leads to decreased and homogenized basal strains. Int J Numer Meth Bio, 2019, DOI: 10.1002/cnm.3260 [online, OSF pre-print]
  • Ngoepe M, Passos A, Balabani S, King J, Lynn A, Moodley J, Swanson L, Bezuidenhout D, Davies NH, Franz T. A preliminary computational investigation into the flow of peg in rat myocardial tissue for regenerative therapy. Front Cardiovasc Med, 2019, 6, Article 104 [open access]
  • Peirlinck M, Sack K, De Backer P, Morais P, Segers P, Franz T, De Beule M. Kinematic boundary conditions substantially impact in silico ventricular function. Int J Numer Meth Bio, 2019, 35(1), e3151 [open access]
  • Sirry MS, Dubuis L, Davies NH, Liao J, Franz T. Identification of orthotropic material parameters for acute, necrotic, fibrotic and remodelling myocardial infarcts in the rat. bioRxiv, 2019, 754754 [bioRxiv]

2018

  • de Villiers AM, McBride AT, Reddy BD, Franz T, Spottiswoode BS. A validated patient-specific FSI model for vascular access in haemodialysis. Biomech Model Mechanobiol, 2018, 17(2), 479-97 [full-text]
  • Kohn JC, Abdalrahman T, Sack KL, Reinhart-King CA, Franz T. Endothelial cells on the aged subendothelial matrix display heterogeneous strain profiles in silico. Biomech Model Mechanobiol, 2018, 17(5), 1405-14 [open-access, manuscript]
  • Sack KL, Aliotta E, Choy JS, Ennis DB, Davies NH, Franz T, Kassab GS, Guccione JM. Effect of intra-myocardial Algisyl-LVR™ injectates on fibre structure in porcine heart failure. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater, 2018, 87, 172-9 [full-text]
  • Sack KL, Aliotta E, Ennis DB, Choy JS, Kassab GS, Guccione JM, Franz T. Construction and validation of subject-specific biventricular finite-element models of healthy and failing swine hearts from high-resolution DT-MRI. Front Physiol, 2018, 9, Article 539 [open access]
  • Sack KL, Dabiri Y, Franz T, Solomon SD, Burkhoff D, Guccione JM. Investigating the role of interventricular interdependence in development of right heart failure during LVAD support: A finite element methods-based approach. Front Physiol, 2018, 9, Article 520 [open access]

2017

  • Abdalrahman T, Dubuis L, Green J, Davies NH, Franz T. Cellular mechanosensitivity to substrate stiffness decreases with increasing dissimilarity to cell stiffness. Biomech Model Mechanobiol, 2017, 16(6), 2063-75 [full-text]
  • Abdalrahman T, Franz T. Analytical modeling of mechanics of early invasion of a merozoite into a human erythrocyte. J Biol Phys, 2017, 43(4), 471-9 [full-text]
  • Voorneveld J, Oosthuysen A, Franz T, Zilla P, Bezuidenhout D. Dual electrospinning with sacrificial fibres for engineered porosity and enhancement of tissue ingrowth. J Biomed Mater Res B, 2017, 105(6), 1559-72 [full-text]

2016

  • Bogaers AEJ, Kok S, Reddy BD, Franz T. An evaluation of quasi-newton methods for application to FSI problems involving free surface flow and solid body contact. Comput Struct, 2016, 173, 71-83 [full-text]
  • Limbert G, Omar R, Krynauw H, Bezuidenhout D, Franz T. The anisotropic mechanical behaviour of electro-spun biodegradable polymer scaffolds. Experimental characterisation and constitutive formulation. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater, 2016, 53, 21-39 [full-text, manuscript]
  • Sack KL, Baillargeon B, Acevedo-Bolton G, Genet M, Rebelo N, Kuhl E, Klein L, Weiselthaler GM, Burkhoff D, Franz T, Guccione JM. Partial LVAD restores ventricular outputs and normalises LV but not RV stress distributions in the acutely failing heart in silico. Int J Artif Organs, 2016, 39(8), 421-30 [full-text, manuscript]
  • Sack KL, Davies NH, Guccione JM, Franz T. Personalised computational cardiology: Patient-specific modelling in cardiac mechanics and biomaterial injection therapies for myocardial infarction. Heart Fail Rev, 2016, 21(6), 815-26 [full-text, manuscript]
  • Sirry MS, Butler JR, Patnaik SS, Brazile B, Bertucci R, Claude A, McLaughlin R, Davies NH, Liao J, Franz T. Characterisation of the mechanical properties of infarcted myocardium in the rat under biaxial tension and uniaxial compression. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater, 2016, 63, 252-64 [full-text, manuscript]
  • Sirry MS, Butler JR, Patnaik SS, Brazile B, Bertucci R, Claude A, McLaughlin R, Davies NH, Liao J, Franz T. Infarcted rat myocardium: data from biaxial tensile and uniaxial compressive testing and analysis of collagen fibre orientation. Data in Brief, 2016, 8, 1338-43 [full-text, manuscript]
  • Wise P, Davies NH, Sirry MS, Kortsmit J, Dubuis L, Chai C-K, Baaijens FPT, Franz T. Excessive volume of hydrogel injectates may compromise the efficacy for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. Int J Numer Meth Bio, 2016, 32(12), e02772 [full-text, manuscript]

2015

  • Bogaers AEJ, Kok S, Reddy BD, Franz T. Extending the robustness and efficiency of artificial compressibility for partitioned fluid-structure interactions. Comput Meth Appl Mech Eng, 2015, 283, 1278-95 [full-text]
  • Sirry MS, Davies NH, Kadner K, Dubuis L, Saleh MG, Meintjes EM, Spottiswoode BS, Zilla P, Franz T. Micro-structurally detailed model of a therapeutic hydrogel injectate in a rat biventricular cardiac geometry for computational simulations. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Eng, 2015, 18(3), 325-31 [full-text, manuscript]

2014

  • Bogaers AEJ, Kok S, Reddy BD, Franz T. Quasi-Newton methods for implicit black-box FSI coupling. Comput Meth Appl Mech Eng, 2014, 279, 113-32 [full-text]
  • Franz T. Does cell mechanics in adipogenesis offer new keys for the prevention and management of obesity? Biophys J, 2014, 106(6), 1231-2 [full-text]
  • Franz T. Computational mechanics and electro-mechanics in cardiovascular physiology and disease. Int J Numer Meth Bio, 2014, 30(6), 603-4 [full-text, special issue toc]
  • Legner D, Skatulla S, Mbewu J, Rama RR, Reddy BD, Sansour C, Davies NH, Franz T. Studying the influence of hydrogel injections into the infarcted left ventricle using the element-free Galerkin method. Int J Numer Meth Bio, 2014, 30(3), 416-29 [full-text]

2013

  • Bracher M, Bezuidenhout D, Lutolf MP, Franz T, Sun M, Zilla P, Davies NH. Cell specific ingrowth hydrogels. Biomaterials, 2013, 34(28), 6797-803 [full-text]
  • Kortsmit J, Davies NH, Miller R, Macadangdang JR, Zilla P, Franz T. The effect of hydrogel injection on cardiac function and myocardial mechanics in a computational post-infarction model. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Eng, 2013, 16(11), 1185-95 [full-text, manuscript]
  • Kortsmit J, Davies NH, Miller R, Zilla P, Franz T. Computational predictions of improved wall mechanics and function of the infarcted left ventricle at early and late remodeling stages: Comparison of layered and bulk hydrogel injectates. Adv Biomech Applic, 2013, 1(1), 41-55 [full-text, manuscript]
  • Miller R, Davies NH, Kortsmit J, Zilla P, Franz T. Outcomes of myocardial infarction hydrogel injection therapy in the human left ventricle dependent on injectate distribution. Int J Numer Meth Bio, 2013, 29(8), 870-84 [full-text, manuscript]
  • Moodley L, Franz T, Human P, Wolf MF, Bezuidenhout D, Scherman J, Zilla P. Protective constriction of coronary vein grafts with knitted nitinol. Eur J Cardio-Thorac, 2013, 44(1), 64-71 [full-text, manuscript]
  • Weber B, Dijkman PE, Scherman J, Sanders B, Emmert MY, Gruenenfelder J, Verbeek R, Bracher M, Black M, Franz T, Kortsmit J, Modregger P, Peter S, Stampanoni M, Roberta J, Kehl D, van Doeselaar M, Schweiger M, Brokopp CE, Waelchli T, Falk V, Zilla P, Driessen-Mol A, Baaijens FPT, Hoerstrup SP. Off-the-shelf human decellularized tissue-engineered heart valves in a non-human primate model. Biomaterials, 2013, 34(30), 7269-80 [full-text]

2012

  • Franz T. Computational and numerical modelling in neuromechanics and biomechanics. Int J Numer Meth Bio, 2012, 28(10), 1001-2 [full-text, special issue toc]
  • Franz T, Reddy BD. Numerical studies of problems in biophysics, biomechanics and mechanobiology. Int J Numer Meth Bio, 2012, 28(1), 1-2 [full-text, special issue toc]
  • Kadner K, Dobner S, Franz T, Bezuidenhout D, Sirry MS, Zilla P, Davies NH. Deferred delivery augments the efficiency of hydrogel therapy post myocardial infarction. Biomaterials, 2012, 33(7), 2060-6 [full-text]
  • Saleh MG, Sharp S-K, Alhamud A, Spottiswoode BS, van der Kouwe AJW, Davies NH, Franz T, Meintjes EM. Long-term left ventricular remodelling in rat model of non-reperfused myocardial infarction: Sequential MR imaging using a 3T clinical scanner. J Biomed Biotechnol, 2012, 2012, 10 pages, DOI:10.1155/2012/504037 [full-text]
  • Weed B, Borazjani A, Patnaik S, Prabhu R, Horstemeyer MF, Ryan PL, Franz T, Williams LN, Liao J. Stress state and strain rate dependence of the human placenta. Ann Biomed Eng, 2012, 40(10), 2255-65 [full-text]
  • Zilla P, Moodley L, Scherman J, Krynauw H, Kortsmit J, Human P, Wolf MF, Franz T. Remodeling leads to distinctly more intimal hyperplasia in coronary than in infra-inguinal vein grafts. J Vasc Surg, 2012, 55(6), 1734-41 [full-text, manuscript]

2011

  • de Vaal MH, Neville J, Litow M, Scherman J, Zilla P, Franz T. Patient-specific prediction of intrinsic mechanical loadings on sub-muscular pectoral pacemaker implants based on an inter-species transfer function. J Biomech, 2011, 44(14), 2525-31 [full-text, manuscript]
  • Krynauw H, Bruchmüller L, Bezuidenhout D, Zilla P, Franz T. Degradation-induced change of mechanical properties of an electro-spun polyester-urethane scaffold for soft tissue regeneration. J Biomed Mater Res B, 2011, 99B(2), 359-68 [full-text, manuscript]
  • Ngoepe MN, Reddy BD, Kahn D, Meyer C, Zilla P, Franz T. A numerical tool for the coupled mechanical assessment of anastomoses of PTFE arterio-venous access grafts. Cardiovasc Eng Tech, 2011, 2(3), 160-72 [full-text, manuscript]
  • Weber B, Scherman J, Emmert MY, Gruenenfelder J, Verbeek R, Bracher M, Black M, Kortsmit J, Franz T, Schoenauer R, Baumgartner L, Brokopp C, Agarkova I, Wolint P, Zund G, Falk V, Zilla P, Hoerstrup SP. Injectable living stem cell-based autologous tissue engineered heart valves - first experiences with a one-step procedure in primates. Eur Heart J, 2011, 32(22), 2830-40 [full-text]
  • Zilla P, Moodley L, Wolf MF, Bezuidenhout D, Sirry MS, Rafiee R, Lichtenberg W, Black M, Franz T. Knitted nitinol represents a new generation of constrictive external veingraft meshes. J Vasc Surg, 2011, 54(5), 1439-50 [full-text, manuscript]

2010

  • de Vaal MH, Neville J, Scherman J, Zilla P, Litow M, Franz T. Mechanical loadings on pectoral pacemaker implants: correlation of in-line and transverse force of the pectoralis major. Ann Biomed Eng, 2010, 38(11), 3338-46 [full-text, manuscript]
  • de Vaal MH, Neville J, Scherman J, Zilla P, Litow M, Franz T. The in vivo assessment of mechanical loadings on pectoral pacemaker implants. J Biomech, 2010, 43(9), 1717-22 [full-text, manuscript]
  • Franz T, Human P, Dobner S, Reddy BD, Black M, Ilsley H, Wolf MF, Bezuidenhout D, Moodley L, Zilla P. Tailored sizes of constrictive external vein meshes for coronary artery bypass surgery. Biomaterials, 2010, 31(35), 9301-9 [full-text, manuscript]
  • Franz T, Reddy BD, Human P, Zilla P. A mathematical method for constraint-based cluster analysis towards optimized constrictive diameter smoothing of saphenous vein grafts. Med Biol Eng Comput, 2010, 48(6), 519-29 [full-text, manuscript] Finalist for Nightingale Prize 2011 for Best MBEC Paper in 2010 [editorial]
  • Koch TM, Reddy BD, Zilla P, Franz T. Aortic valve leaflet mechanical properties facilitate diastolic valve function. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Eng, 2010, 13(2), 225-34 [full-text, manuscript]
  • Schiller NK, Franz T, Weerasekara NS, Zilla P, Reddy BD. A simple fluid-structure coupling algorithm for the study of the anastomotic mechanics of vascular grafts. Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Eng, 2010, 13(6), 773-81 [full-text, manuscript]
  • Sirry MS, Zilla P, Franz T. A computational study of structural designs for a small-diameter composite vascular graft promoting tissue regeneration. Cardiovasc Eng Tech, 2010, 1(4), 269-81 [full-text, manuscript]
  • Theron JP, Knoetze JH, Sanderson RD, Hunter R, Mequinant K, Franz T, Zilla P, Bezuidenhout D. Modification, crosslinking and reactive electrospinning of a thermoplastic medical polyurethane for vascular graft applications. Acta Biomater, 2010, 6(7), 2434-47 [full-text]
  • Yeoman MS, Reddy BD, Bowles HC, Bezuidenhout D, Zilla P, Franz T. A constitutive model for the warp-weft coupled non-linear behavior of knitted biomedical textiles. Biomaterials, 2010, 31(32), 8484-93 [full-text, manuscript]

2009

  • Human P, Franz T, Scherman J, Moodley L, Zilla P. Dimensional analysis of human saphenous vein grafts: implications for external mesh support. J Thorac Cardiovasc Sur, 2009, 137(5), 1101-8 [full-text]
  • Yeoman MS, Reddy BD, Bowles H, Bezuidenhout D, Zilla P, Franz T. The use of finite element methods and genetic algorithms in search of an optimal fabric reinforced porous graft system. Ann Biomed Eng, 2009, 37(11), 2266-87 [full-text, manuscript ]
  • Zilla P, Wolf M, Rafiee N, Moodley L, Bezuidenhout D, Black M, Human P, Franz T. Utilization of shape memory in external vein graft meshes: extending the limits of diameter constriction. J Vasc Sur, 2009, 49(6), 1532-42 [full-text]

2008

  • Van der Merwe H, Reddy BD, Zilla P, Bezuidenhout D, Franz T. A computational study of knitted Nitinol meshes for their prospective use as external vein reinforcement. J Biomech, 2008, 41(6), 1302-9 [full-text, manuscript]
  • Zilla P, Human P, Wolf M, Lichtenberg W, Rafiee N, Bezuidenhout D, Samodien N, Schmidt C, Franz T. Constrictive external Nitinol meshes inhibit vein graft intimal hyperplasia in non-human primates. J Thorac Cardiovasc Sur, 2008, 136(3), 717-25 [full-text]