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Modeling cancer stem cells: Implications for novel therapeutic strategies
by
Colin Turner
University of Waterloo
Coauthors: Mohammad Kohandel, University of Waterloo and Centre for Mathematical Medicine, kohandel@math.uwaterloo.ca
Siv Sivaloganathan, University of Waterloo and Centre for Mathematical Medicine, ssivalog@math.uwaterloo.ca
Sheila Singh, McMaster Stem Cell and Cancer Research Institute and Department of Surgery, McMaster University
In recent years, support has increased for the cancer stem cell hypothesis, which states that a subpopulation of cancer cells in possession of properties typically associated with stem cells is responsible for initiating and maintaining tumour growth. Such “cancer stem cells” were first identified in leukaemias, and have since been been implicated in solid tumours including those of the breast, brain and colon. Unravelling the details of the cancer stem cell hierarchy, as well as the interactions of these cells with various therapies, will be essential in the design of optimal treatment strategies. We develop a mathematical model of the cancer stem cell hypothesis that may aid in characterizing tumours, as well as in predicting effective therapeutic strategies. This model is stochastic when small numbers of cells are under consideration; for larger populations of cancer cells, we adopt a deterministic approach. The importance of certain parameters in dictating properties of the tumour is discussed, as well as how the dependence of the tumour on these parameters may be exploited in therapy.
Date received: May 2, 2008
Copyright © 2008 by the author(s). The author(s) of this document and the organizers of the conference have granted their consent to include this abstract in Atlas Conferences Inc. Document # cawd-50.