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"Go or Grow": the key to the emergence of invasion in tumor progression?
by
Haralambos Hatzikirou
TU Dresden
Coauthors: D. Basanta, M. Simon, C. Schaller, A. Deustch
Uncontrolled proliferation and abnormal cell migration are two of the main characteristics of tumor growth. Of ultimate importance is the question: what are the mechanisms that trigger the progression from benign neoplasms (high proliferation) to malignant invasive tumors (high migration)?. We show with a lattice-gas cellular automaton that the transition to invasive tumor phenotypes can be explained solely on the basis of the microscopic "Go or Grow" mechanism (migration/proliferation dichotomy) and the oxygen shortage, i.e. hypoxia, in the tumor environment. This result challenges the currently prevailing view that the emergence of invasiveness is mainly the consequence of acquired cancer cell mutations. Moreover, we provide a theoretical explanation of our results by means of a cut-off mean-field approach. Finally, we suggest possible therapies that could help prevent the progression towards malignancy and invasiveness of benign tumors.
Date received: May 14, 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 # caxj-01.