Berlin 2024 – scientific programme

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BP: Fachverband Biologische Physik

BP 20: Poster IIIa

BP 20.30: Poster

Wednesday, March 20, 2024, 11:00–14:30, Poster B

Data-driven, ecosystem-based approach to cancer development — Alessandra Accettola, •Margherita Mele, and Raffaello Potestio — Physics Department, University of Trento, via Sommarive, 14 I-38123 Trento, Italy

Cancer cells exhibit a heterogeneous genetic and phenotypic landscape that evolves over time. Within this complexity lies the challenge of distinguishing critical driver mutations from less important ones.

Our approach, inspired by a minimalist model of microbial communities, explores hierarchically structured ecosystems to mimic the dynamics of resource competition. Using HiC data from different tumour stages, we model interactions to unravel the systematic differences that characterise evolutionary transitions from healthy to tumour cells.

Through this data-driven effort, we aim to achieve a dual goal: to delineate the systematic differences that drive evolutionary dynamics; and to identify critical features that drive such dynamics, ultimately providing the research community with a practical and useful instrument to comprehend and possibly hinder cancer development

Keywords: microbial ecosystem; evolution; cancer; computational modelling