A mathematical model of tumour angiogenesis: growth, regression and regrowth.

ABSTRACT: Cancerous tumours have the ability to recruit new blood vessels through a process called angiogenesis. By stimulating vascular growth, tumours get connected to the circulatory system, receive nutrients and open a way to colonize distant organs. Tumour-induced vascular networks become unstable in the absence of tumour angiogenic factors (TAFs). They may undergo alternating stages of growth, regression and regrowth. Following a phase-field methodology, we propose a model of tumour angiogenesis that reproduces the aforementioned features and highlights the importance of vascular regression and regrowth. In contrast with previous theories which focus on vessel remodelling due to the absence of flow, we model an alternative regression mechanism based on the dependency of tumour-induced vascular

SUBMITTER: Vilanova G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5310739 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature