Regensburg 2007 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 16: Poster Session I

BP 16.36: Poster

Tuesday, March 27, 2007, 17:00–19:30, Poster D

Remodelling of an arteriovenous vascular network during tumor growth and simulation of drug flow: A theoretical model — •Michael Welter and Heiko Rieger — Theoretische Physik, Universität des Saarlandes, PF 151150, D-66041 Saarbrücken

Tumor acquire sufficient oxygen and nutrient supply by coopting host vessels and neovasculature created via angiogenesis, thereby transforming a highly ordered network into chaotic heterogenous tumor specific vasculature. Vessel regression inside the tumor leads to large regions of necrotic tissue interspersed with isolated surviving vessels. A theoretical model is presented that captures these features in agreement with data from human melanoma. Extending our earlier work [K. Bartha and H. Rieger, J. Theor. Biol. 241, 903 (2006)] emphasis is put on realistic modeling of the vascular system by incorporating a stochastically grown hierarchical arteriovenous network, Fahraeus-Lindqvist and phase separation effects and refined tissue oxygen level computation. The irregularity of tumor vasculature has drastic effects upon potential drug delivery, therefore we also present results of simulations of a tracer substance flowing through the remodeled network.