Emergent properties of a computational model of tumour growth
While there have been enormous advances in our understanding of the genetic drivers and molecular pathways involved in cancer in recent decades, there also remain key areas of dispute with respect to fundamental theories of cancer. The accumulation of vast new datasets from genomics and other fields...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PeerJ Inc.
2016-06-01
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| Series: | PeerJ |
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/2176.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797421069028556800 |
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| author | Pan Pantziarka |
| author_facet | Pan Pantziarka |
| author_sort | Pan Pantziarka |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | While there have been enormous advances in our understanding of the genetic drivers and molecular pathways involved in cancer in recent decades, there also remain key areas of dispute with respect to fundamental theories of cancer. The accumulation of vast new datasets from genomics and other fields, in addition to detailed descriptions of molecular pathways, cloud the issues and lead to ever greater complexity. One strategy in dealing with such complexity is to develop models to replicate salient features of the system and therefore to generate hypotheses which reflect on the real system. A simple tumour growth model is outlined which displays emergent behaviours that correspond to a number of clinically relevant phenomena including tumour growth, intra-tumour heterogeneity, growth arrest and accelerated repopulation following cytotoxic insult. Analysis of model data suggests that the processes of cell competition and apoptosis are key drivers of these emergent behaviours. Questions are raised as to the role of cell competition and cell death in physical cancer growth and the relevance that these have to cancer research in general is discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:10:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a663e2373fa04b5e8b58ad8dd39cffe1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:10:36Z |
| publishDate | 2016-06-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PeerJ |
| spelling | doaj.art-a663e2373fa04b5e8b58ad8dd39cffe12023-12-03T09:07:23ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592016-06-014e217610.7717/peerj.2176Emergent properties of a computational model of tumour growthPan PantziarkaWhile there have been enormous advances in our understanding of the genetic drivers and molecular pathways involved in cancer in recent decades, there also remain key areas of dispute with respect to fundamental theories of cancer. The accumulation of vast new datasets from genomics and other fields, in addition to detailed descriptions of molecular pathways, cloud the issues and lead to ever greater complexity. One strategy in dealing with such complexity is to develop models to replicate salient features of the system and therefore to generate hypotheses which reflect on the real system. A simple tumour growth model is outlined which displays emergent behaviours that correspond to a number of clinically relevant phenomena including tumour growth, intra-tumour heterogeneity, growth arrest and accelerated repopulation following cytotoxic insult. Analysis of model data suggests that the processes of cell competition and apoptosis are key drivers of these emergent behaviours. Questions are raised as to the role of cell competition and cell death in physical cancer growth and the relevance that these have to cancer research in general is discussed.https://peerj.com/articles/2176.pdfCancerEvolutionComputational modelCarcinogenesisTissue organisation field theorySomatic mutation theory |
| spellingShingle | Pan Pantziarka Emergent properties of a computational model of tumour growth PeerJ Cancer Evolution Computational model Carcinogenesis Tissue organisation field theory Somatic mutation theory |
| title | Emergent properties of a computational model of tumour growth |
| title_full | Emergent properties of a computational model of tumour growth |
| title_fullStr | Emergent properties of a computational model of tumour growth |
| title_full_unstemmed | Emergent properties of a computational model of tumour growth |
| title_short | Emergent properties of a computational model of tumour growth |
| title_sort | emergent properties of a computational model of tumour growth |
| topic | Cancer Evolution Computational model Carcinogenesis Tissue organisation field theory Somatic mutation theory |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/2176.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT panpantziarka emergentpropertiesofacomputationalmodeloftumourgrowth |