Autocrine signaling can explain the emergence of Allee effects in cancer cell populations.

ABSTRACT: In many human cancers, the rate of cell growth depends crucially on the size of the tumor cell population. Low, zero, or negative growth at low population densities is known as the Allee effect; this effect has been studied extensively in ecology, but so far lacks a good explanation in the cancer setting. Here, we formulate and analyze an individual-based model of cancer, in which cell division rates are increased by the local concentration of an autocrine growth factor produced by the cancer cells themselves. We show, analytically and by simulation, that autocrine signaling suffices to cause both strong and weak Allee effects. Whether low cell densities lead to negative (strong effect) or reduced (weak effect) growth rate depends directly on the ratio of cell death to proliferation, and i

SUBMITTER: Gerlee P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8923455 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature