The role of interventions in the cancer evolution-an evolutionary games approach

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Game Theory
• Mathematical Biology
• Computational Science

Background:

• Traditional evolutionary game models assume static player phenotypes.
• Spatial evolutionary games model interactions on lattices, with each cell representing a single-strategy player.
• Incorporating dynamic phenotype adjustments and resource availability is crucial for realistic biological modeling.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel framework, multidimensional spatial evolutionary games (MSEG), for modeling evolutionary dynamics with changing player phenotypes.
• To integrate the concept of resource availability, potentially mimicking effects like anticancer treatments, into spatial evolutionary game models.
• To explore the implications of heterogeneous cell populations with mixed phenotypes within spatial game lattices.

Main Methods:

• Modifying evolutionary game models to include phenotype adjustments based on payoff matrix parameters during transient generations.
• Implementing an additional lattice for cellular automata to represent resource evolution in parallel with the main game.
• Treating cells on the spatial lattice as heterogeneous, allowing for mixed phenotypes within individual players.

Main Results:

• The proposed MSEG framework allows for dynamic changes in player phenotypes, reflecting altered resource access.
• The inclusion of an additional resource lattice increases the dimensionality of the spatial game model.
• The model accommodates populations where all players may exhibit diverse, mixed phenotypes, offering a more biologically plausible scenario.

Conclusions:

• MSEG provides a more sophisticated approach to evolutionary game theory by incorporating dynamic phenotypes and resource dynamics.
• This framework has potential applications in understanding biological phenomena, including responses to treatments like anticancer therapies.
• The heterogeneity of players and the multidimensional lattice structure offer a richer model for complex evolutionary processes.