title: Modelling cell population growth with applications to cancer therapy in human tumour cell lines.
abstract: In this paper we present an overview of the work undertaken to model a population of cells and the effects of cancer therapy. We began with a theoretical one compartment size structured cell population model and investigated its asymptotic steady size distributions (SSDs) (On a cell growth model for plankton, MMB JIMA 21 (2004) 49). However these size distributions are not similar to the DNA (size) distributions obtained experimentally via the flow cytometric analysis of human tumour cell lines (data obtained from the Auckland Cancer Society Research Centre, New Zealand). In our one compartment model, size was a generic term, but in order to obtain realistic steady size distributions we chose size to be DNA content and devised a multi-compartment mathematical model for the cell division cycle where each compartment corresponds to a distinct phase of the cell cycle (J. Math. Biol. 47 (2003) 295). We then incorporated another compartment describing the possible induction of apoptosis (cell death) from mitosis phase (Modelling cell death in human tumour cell lines exposed to anticancer drug paclitaxel, J. Math. Biol. 2004, in press). This enabled us to compare our model to flow cytometric data of a melanoma cell line where the anticancer drug, paclitaxel, had been added. The model gives a dynamic picture of the effects of paclitaxel on the cell cycle. We hope to use the model to describe the effects of other cancer therapies on a number of different cell lines.
authors.affiliation: Biomathematics Research Centre, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, New Zealand. b.basse@math.canterbury.ac.nz
authors.forename: Britta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Basse
authors.forename: Bruce C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Baguley
authors.forename: Elaine S
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Marshall
authors.forename: Graeme C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Wake
authors.forename: David J N
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Wall
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D004360:Drug Therapy, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D017239:Paclitaxel