Related papers: The evolution of carrying capacity in constrained …
Most cancers in humans are large, measuring centimeters in diameter, composed of many billions of cells. An equivalent mass of normal cells would be highly heterogeneous as a result of the mutations that occur during each cell division.…
The unwelcome evolution of malignancy during cancer progression emerges through a selection process in a complex heterogeneous population structure. In the present work, we investigate evolutionary dynamics in a phenotypically heterogeneous…
Cancer cells can be described as an invasive species that is able to establish itself in a new environment. The concept of niche construction can be utilized to describe the process by which cancer cells terraform their environment, thereby…
The aim of this paper is to discuss the role of robustness and diversity in population dynamics in particular to some properties of the multi-step from healthy tissue to fully malignant tumours. Recent evidence shows that diversity within…
Tumor cells develop different features to adapt to environmental conditions. A prominent example is the ability of tumor cells to switch between migratory and proliferative phenotypes, a phenomenon known as go-or-grow mechanism. It is…
In this thesis we develop minimal models of the relationship between motility, growth, and evolution of cancer cells. We utilise simple simulations of a population of individual cells in space to examine how changes in mechanical properties…
Cancer is a disease of cellular regulation, often initiated by genetic mutation within cells, and leading to a heterogeneous cell population within tissues. In the competition for nutrients and growth space within the tumors the phenotype…
In this review, we discuss recent advances on the plasticity of cancer stem cells and highlight their relevance to understand the metastatic process and to guide therapeutic interventions. Recent results suggest that the strict hierarchical…
A tumor can be thought of as an ecosystem, which critically means that we cannot just consider it as a collection of mutated cells but more as a complex system of many interacting cellular and microenvironmental elements. At its simplest, a…
Assuming that there is feedback between an expanding cancer system and its organ-typical microenvironment, we argue here that such local tumor growth is guided by co-existence rather than competition with the surrounding tissue. We then…
One of many important features of the tumour microenvironment is that it is a place of active Darwinian selection where different tumour clones become adapted to the variety of ecological niches that make up the microenvironment. These…
Some clinical and pre-clinical data suggests that treating some tumors at a mild, patient-specific dose might delay resistance to treatment and increase survival time. A recent mathematical model with sensitive and resistant tumor cells…
Research into somatic mutations in cancer cell DNA and their role in tumour growth and progression between successive stages is crucial for improving our understanding of cancer evolution. Mathematical and computer modelling can provide…
Individual cells exhibit specific proliferative responses to changes in microenvironmental conditions. Whether such potential is constrained by the cell density throughout the growth process is however unclear. Here, we identify a…
In order to analyze data from cancer genome sequencing projects, we need to be able to distinguish causative, or "driver," mutations from "passenger" mutations that have no selective effect. Toward this end, we prove results concerning the…
In both natural and artificial studies, evolution is often seen as synonymous to natural selection. Individuals evolve under pressures set by environments that are either reset or do not carry over significant changes from previous…
Most human tumors result from the accumulation of multiple genetic and epigenetic alterations in a single cell. Mutations that confer a fitness advantage to the cell are known as driver mutations and are causally related to tumorigenesis.…
Cancer results from a sequence of genetic and epigenetic changes which lead to a variety of abnormal phenotypes including increased proliferation and survival of somatic cells, and thus, to a selective advantage of pre-cancerous cells. The…
We investigate a partial differential equation model of a cancer cell population, which is structured with respect to age and telomere length of cells. We assume a continuous telomere length structure, which is applicable to the clonal…
Cancer stem cells have been shown to be critical to the development of a variety of solid cancers. The precise interplay mechanisms between cancer stem cells and the rest of a tissue are still not elucidated. To shed light on the…