Researchers develop mathematical model to map tumor growth, for example
The team has studied prostate tumors and developed a conceptually sophisticated, realistic, three-dimensional model of prostate cancer using mathematical modeling. The model depicts tumor growth, genetic evolution and the competition between subclones - different cell populations within a tumor. Among other things, the model shows that the development of an aggressive tumor requires so-called "strong" genetic changes that give the tumor cells special survival advantages in one fell swoop. These must occur early in the course of tumor development, when the tumor is still small. The study also shows that the distribution of subclones within a tumor has an influence on diagnostic approaches such as biopsies.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. However, the mechanisms of tumor development, especially towards aggressive tumors, are still largely unclear in prostate cancer and other malignant tumors. Two main reasons contribute to this lack of knowledge. Firstly, tumors are often only discovered when they have already reached a considerable size. The time span between the development of the tumor and the time of diagnosis, sometimes 10-30 years, is therefore not taken into account. Secondly, modern methods such as next-generation sequencing (NGS), which enable comprehensive characterization of the tumour at subclone level, are costly and extremely complex to evaluate. Due to these limitations, only a few tumors worldwide have been studied in this way to date.
"Our study shows that we can use mathematical modeling to address important, previously unexplained questions about the development of malignant tumors and thus gain clinically relevant insights. Our model is universally applicable and can also be used for other malignant tumor types," explains senior physician and co-leader of the study, Dr. Yuri Tolkach from the Institute of General Pathology and Pathological Anatomy at Cologne University Hospital.
With our new model, we can reproduce the complex spatial structure of a prostate cancer, which lies in the tissue like a kind of root system," explains the postdoc and co-leader of the study, Dr. Florian Kreten, who worked at the Institute for Applied Mathematics at the University of Bonn and is now conducting research at the University Hospital in Cologne. He adds: ,,Common mathematical models of tumor growth and evolution could not be applied to these structures. From a mathematical point of view, the underlying growth mechanism is extremely fascinating and has raised a number of new questions. The work shows how biology can inspire mathematical research." In the future, the scientists hope to further develop the models and expand them to include the interaction between the tumor and the immune system.
