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Updated: Oct 23, 2025
Generation of Heterogeneous Drug Gradients Across Cancer Populations on a Microfluidic Evolution Accelerator for Real-Time Observation
Published on: September 19, 2019
Multi-scale network targeting: A holistic systems-biology approach to cancer treatment
Doru Paul1, Natalia L Komarova2
1Medical Oncology, Weill Cornell Medicine, 1305 York Avenue 12th Floor, New York, NY, 10021, USA.
Abstract:
The vulnerabilities of cancer at the cellular and, recently, with the introduction of immunotherapy, at the tissue level, have been exploited with variable success. Evaluating the cancer system vulnerabilities at the organismic level through analysis of network topology and network dynamics can potentially predict novel anti-cancer drug targets directed at the macroscopic cancer networks. Theoretical work analyzing the properties and the vulnerabilities of the multi-scale network of cancer needs to go hand-in-hand with experimental research that uncovers the biological nature of the relevant networks and reveals new targetable vulnerabilities. It is our hope that attacking cancer on different spatial scales, in a concerted integrated approach, may present opportunities for novel ways to prevent treatment resistance.
Insights
Understanding cancer
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Systems Biology
- Computational Biology
Background:
- Cancer vulnerabilities have been targeted at cellular and tissue levels with varying success.
- Immunotherapy has recently enabled targeting cancer at the tissue level.
- A multi-scale network approach is needed to understand cancer system vulnerabilities.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate cancer system vulnerabilities at the organismic level.
- To predict novel anti-cancer drug targets by analyzing network topology and dynamics.
- To integrate theoretical and experimental research for a comprehensive understanding of cancer networks.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of network topology and network dynamics at the organismic level.
- Theoretical modeling of multi-scale cancer networks.
- Experimental research to uncover biological networks and identify targetable vulnerabilities.
Main Results:
- Identifying organismic-level vulnerabilities can predict novel anti-cancer drug targets.
- Integrated theoretical and experimental approaches are crucial for uncovering cancer network properties.
- A multi-scale perspective is essential for understanding and targeting cancer.
Conclusions:
- Attacking cancer across different spatial scales in an integrated manner may overcome treatment resistance.
- Network-based analysis offers a promising avenue for discovering new anti-cancer strategies.
- Combining theoretical and experimental research is key to advancing cancer therapy.
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