Regensburg 2004 – scientific programme

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AKB: Biologische Physik

AKB 50: Poster Session "Biological Physics"

AKB 50.104: Poster

Friday, March 12, 2004, 10:30–13:00, B

An off-lattice model for multicellular tumor spheroid growth — •Gernot Schaller and Michael Meyer-Hermann — Institut für Theoretische Physik, Zellescher Weg 17, 01062 Dresden

We model three-dimensional multicellular tumor spheroids using an agent-based Delaunay/Voronoi-model which relies on experimentally accesible cellular properties.

For the detection of natural neighbors we use three-dimensional weighted dynamic and kinetic Delaunay/Voronoi tessellations. The resulting bidirectional graph can be dynamically updated with in average linear complexity versus the number of cells. Cells are assumed to be elastically deformable spheres with varying radii. The growth of cells is modeled by coupling the cells to a reaction-diffusion-equation for nutrients. The dynamics is then calculated using the Langevin equation in the overdamped limit.

We study the emergence of typical avascular tumor morphologies starting with a single tumor cell. The influence of several mechanisms such as nutrient limitation, external tissue pressure and intercellular adhesion on growth and morphology is studied.

This work has been financially supported by the SMWK.