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The Tumor Microenvironment

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...

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Updated: Jun 4, 2025

A Mimic of the Tumor Microenvironment: A Simple Method for Generating Enriched Cell Populations and Investigating Intercellular Communication

A Mimic of the Tumor Microenvironment: A Simple Method for Generating Enriched Cell Populations and Investigating Intercellular Communication

Published on: September 20, 2016

Agent-based modeling for the tumor microenvironment (TME).

Hasitha N Weerasinghe¹, Pamela M Burrage¹, Dan V Nicolau Jr²

¹School of Mathematical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.

Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering : MBE

|December 19, 2024

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

This study used an agent-based model to explore how cancer cells communicate within tumors. Findings show cell interactions and the tumor microenvironment significantly influence cancer progression and invasion.

Keywords:

agent-based modeling cancer invasion plasticity tumor microenvironment

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Microfluidic Co-Culture Models for Dissecting the Immune Response in in vitro Tumor Microenvironments

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Published on: April 30, 2021

Area of Science:

Oncology
Computational Biology
Biophysics

Background:

Cancer is characterized by uncontrolled abnormal cell growth and spread, posing life-threatening risks due to limited treatment options.
Intra-tumoral communication and the tumor microenvironment are critical factors influencing cancer progression and therapeutic response.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the impact of intra-tumoral communication on tumor progression, plasticity, and invasion using an agent-based model.
To identify key cellular and microenvironmental factors that promote or inhibit cancer spread.

Main Methods:

An agent-based model was developed to simulate tumor growth and behavior.
The model incorporated parameters for cell-cell interactions, cell-extracellular matrix (ECM) interactions, and ECM degradation.
Simulations were run to analyze the effects of varying cell densities, ECM protein densities, and ECM breakdown probabilities.

Main Results:

Cell-cell and cell-ECM interactions were found to significantly affect tumor cell behavior, progression, and invasion.
Low initial densities of healthy cells and ECM proteins were associated with increased tumor progression, cell motility, and invasion.
High probabilities of ECM breakdown by tumor cells were linked to enhanced tumor invasion.

Conclusions:

Intra-tumoral communication and microenvironmental factors play a crucial role in cancer progression and invasion.
Understanding these dynamics under cellular stress is vital for developing effective cancer treatment strategies.
The agent-based model provides a valuable tool for exploring cancer biology and informing therapeutic design.