Method and Apparatus for Computational Modeling of Malignant Transformation in Tissue

摘要

A computational system and method for simulating biological tissue includes a computer-modeled 3-dimensional space in which computer-modeled cells are located. The cells may be either healthy or cancerous. As a simulation progresses, the cells may execute a variety of protocols. These include life protocols, such as replication, repair, and apoptosis. They also include signaling protocols, such as a request from a cell to entice defective neighboring cells to die, and an announcement that a cell itself is about to die. The announcement, when received by neighboring cells, tends to entice them also to die. Since defective cells tend to cluster together, the combination of the two signals within a tumor has a strong effect on suppressing the tumor. The simulation tracks the progression of cancerous tumors as well as the effectiveness of various treatments. By simulating the behavior of cancerous tissues, the system and method disclosed herein provide a model for understanding cancer, from which potential treatments may be conceived.