From left to right, this image shows how cancer cells (magenta) displace healthy cells (green). Credit: UC3M/UCM.
From left to right , this image shows how cancer cells ( magenta ) displace healthy cells ( green ). Credit: UC3M/UCM. A mathematical study describes how metastasis starts Research by the UC3M and UCM A scientific study carried out by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) has produced a mathematical description of the way in which a tumor invades the epithelial cells and automatically quantifies the progression of the tumor and the remaining cell islands after its progression. The model developed by these researchers could be used to better understand the biophysical characteristics of the cells involved when developing new treatments for wound healing, organ regeneration, or cancer progression. This research analyses the collective movement of cells in tissues, a process that, in addition to being essential in pathological developments, such as tumor invasion and metastasis, plays a central role in physiological processes, such as wound healing, embryonic development or tissue reconstruction, for example. In order to unravel the complexity of these processes, some previous scientific studies have carried out various experiments that seek to ascertain the role of certain chemical, mechanical and biological factors. In this work, published in PLoS Computational Biology, researchers from the UC3M and UCM have now used a combination of mathematical modelling, numerical simulations and a topological analysis of data extracted from simulations and experiments in order to understand how cancer cells invade healthy cells.
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