FORSYS: A Systems Biology Approach towards Predictive Cancer Therapy
Teilprojekt P8: Modeling of the spatial-temporal distribution of therapeutics in tumor (continuum approach)

Modeling of the spatial-temporal distribution of therapeutics in thetumor (continuum approach)
Within this project a mathematical model that describes the intra-tumoral distribution of a targetedprotein therapeutic under consideration of the input signal and thetopographical constraints as well as cellular architecture of the tumor (tumor vessels, cellular andacellular components of the stroma, malignant tumor cells) will be developed.In modelling the time and spatial evolution of the targeting agents within the tumor a continuum approach will be applied.For the implementation of this model the tumor is assumed to be a porous mediumcomposed of cell surface subcompartments, interstitial pore fluids and the vascular compartment.The mass balance equations for the injected agent involve the diffusive and convective fluxesthrough the vascular compartment, transport across the microvascular wall, and transport throughthe interstitial compartment. During the transport the therapeutic agent may bind specifically to thetargets. The quantitative information about the morphological parameter of the tumor is extractedfrom the experimental observations described below. For numerical integration of the system ofpartial differential equations (PDE) the box method is used which is a local mass conservationfinite volume approach that allows the use of finite element meshes.

Helmig, Rainer

Class, Holger

Erbertseder, Karin

LH2

07/2008 - 06/2011

BMBF and industry

Center for Systems Biology CSB