Numerical Analysis on Angiogenesis in Growing Cancer Using a Particle Model

Abstract

AbstractThere is a close relation between cancer growth and angiogenesis. While blood vessel supplies nutrition to help cancer cells increase, cancer cells attract growth of the blood vessel simultaneously. Thus they grow by interacting each other. A particle model was introduced to simulate and to clarify this relation. 2D model was developed and was applied to the blood vessel network of vasculogenesis in an egg comparing with experimental result and another simulation result. The model was extended to 3D model of cancer growth and angiogenesis. There blood vessel network growth, nutrition transportation, cancer cell movement and its increase were taken into consideration. Basic results that cancer grows as blood vessel network grows were obtained, and it means a first step model is established qualitatively. Next step will be model improvement close to real phenomenon and quantitative verification by comparing with real cancer growth obtained by in vivo imaging. In future, the model will be expected to clarify the cancer growth mechanism and to contribute to suppress its growth.KeywordsParticle Tracking and Particle Methods for Biological FlowsDiscrete Particle Methods for Modeling of Solids and Fluids