Modeling and Simulations of Vascular-like Structure Formation of Cancer Cells

Abstract

Recent studies in cancer biology reveal that cancer cells form a large-scale vascular-like structure, allowing them to gain access to blood vessels and nutrient sources in a cooperative manner. To understand how cancer cells form such a structure, we develop an individual-based model of cancer cells. In our model, each cancer cell moves based on the attraction and repulsion forces. The attraction force is divided into two types: remote and contact forces. The remote force is the one that one cell exerts on another at a distance while the contact force is the one that acts between two cells in physical contact. The repulsion force represents volume exclusion effects, allowing two cells to maintain a distance from each other. It is also responsible for the upward cell motion. Also, in our model, cells divide probabilistically based on a cell cycle. Using the model we develop, we conduct computer simulation experiments and reproduce the structure of cancer cells similar to that observed in wet laboratory experiments. The model developed in this paper can be used for in silico analysis of vascular-like structure formation of cancer cells.