title: A phenomenological approach to the simulation of metabolism and proliferation dynamics of large tumour cell populations.
abstract: A major goal of modern computational biology is to simulate the collective behaviour of large cell populations starting from the intricate web of molecular interactions occurring at the microscopic level. In this paper we describe a simplified model of cell metabolism, growth and proliferation, suitable for inclusion in a multicell simulator, now under development (Chignola R and Milotti E 2004 Physica A 338 261-6). Nutrients regulate the proliferation dynamics of tumour cells which adapt their behaviour to respond to changes in the biochemical composition of the environment. This modelling of nutrient metabolism and cell cycle at a mesoscopic scale level leads to a continuous flow of information between the two disparate spatiotemporal scales of molecular and cellular dynamics that can be simulated with modern computers and tested experimentally.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Scientifico e Tecnologico, Università di Verona and Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Trieste-Strada Le Grazie, 15-CV1, I-37134 Verona, Italy. roberto.chignola@univr.it
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chignola
authors.forename: Edoardo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Milotti
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D001703:Biophysics / Q000379:methods*; D002455:Cell Division; D049108:Cell Enlargement; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D003198:Computer Simulation; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism; D008938:Mitosis; D008954:Models, Biological; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D010101:Oxygen Consumption
chemical_list: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate; D010100:Oxygen