Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 7, 2026

Modeling Chemotherapy Resistant Leukemia In Vitro
Published on: February 9, 2016
Optimization of drug regimen in chemotherapy based on semi-mechanistic model for myelosuppression
Jianxu Zhu1, Ran Liu1, Zhibin Jiang1
1Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240 Shanghai, China.
Abstract:
Based on the latest statistics on trends in cancer incidence and mortality worldwide, cancer burden is growing at an alarming pace. Many anticancer drugs have been proved effective against cancer cells as well as toxic to human tissues, which prevents sufficient doses from being administered to obtain a complete cure. In this paper we build an optimal control model to optimize the scheduling problem along one cycle of chemotherapy treatment using a single anticancer drug etoposide (VP-16). In the model, three mathematic models are adopted to mimic physiological response of body under chemotherapy: (i) Pharmacokinetic model of anticancer drug; (ii) A two-compartment tumor growth dynamic model under the influence of cell-cycle-specific anticancer drugs; and (iii) A semi-mechanistic model for myelosuppression. In this new integrated model clinically relevant objectives are proposed to gain a trade-off between efficacy and toxicity. Simulation results of clinical protocols are consistent with real-life clinical data. Furthermore, we find a new optimal drug regimen which can improve the efficacy without the risk of severe toxicity.
Related Concept Videos
Dosage Regimen Designs: Nomograms and Tabulations
Dosage Regimens: Designs and Approaches
Impact of Pharmacokinetic–Pharmacodynamic Models: Regulatory Decisions
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Drug Dosing in Renal Diseases: Dose Adjustments Based on Drug Clearance and Elimination Rate Constant
Drug Dosage Regimen: Overview
Typically, the starting dose and dosing interval are guided by the manufacturer's recommendations based on clinical trials conducted during and after drug...
