SP 4

Agent-based tumour models to define adjuvant therapy approaches

Stomach cancer is a frequent form of cancer. Therapies, which affect motility parameters of cancer cells, have proven a diversity of efficiencies. In this project, we will investigate clinically relevant medications in their effectivity to control the motility of cancer cells. We will start from in vitro data of cell motility and understand these with the help of agent-based modelling frameworks. The validated mathematical model can then be used for simulations of larger cancer cell compounds with the aim to determine the impact of therapies targeting cell motility onto the organisation of tumours. The known correlation of cancer cell motility with the probability of metastasis may open new strategies of cancer therapy.

Gastric cancer cells, in culture dish, observed in time-lapse microscopy (left). A snapshot of 2-dimensional agent-based simulation of cell motility (right).

Motility factor (Left) and average cell speed (Right) verses time, for cancer cells with small polarity (red colour, orientation angle of cells is between -30<θ<30) and cells in the reference system (blue colour, orientation angle -180<θ<180).

Keywords: Stomach cancer, cell migration, metastasis, cell interaction, motility coefficient