Out-competing Cancer Cells with Engineered Cells
Author Information
Author(s): Thomas S Deisboeck, Zhihui Wang
Primary Institution: Harvard-MIT (HST) Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital
Hypothesis
Can engineered cells out-compete native cancer cells for resources in the tumor microenvironment?
Conclusion
The study suggests that engineered cells can effectively control tumor growth by out-competing native cancer cells for limited resources.
Supporting Evidence
- The model shows that engineered cells can dominate the tumor population if they have a higher proliferation rate.
- Simulations indicate that higher proliferation rates of engineered cells lead to faster control of tumor growth.
- Results suggest that once engineered cells outnumber native tumor cells, they can effectively suppress tumor growth.
Takeaway
Scientists think that if they can make special cells that grow faster than cancer cells, those special cells can take away the food and space cancer cells need to grow.
Methodology
A three-dimensional agent-based model was developed to simulate the growth dynamics of engineered and native tumor cells.
Potential Biases
Potential risks include the engineered cells causing local tumor invasion or distant metastasis.
Limitations
The model oversimplifies the tumor microenvironment by only considering glucose as a nutrient.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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