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The cancer stem cell fraction in hierarchically organized tumors can be estimated using mathematical modeling and patient-specific treatment trajectories

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Werner,  Benjamin
Department Evolutionary Theory, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Society;

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Traulsen,  Arne
Department Evolutionary Theory, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Max Planck Society;

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Citation

Werner, B., Scott, J. G., Sottoriva, A., Anderson, A. R., Traulsen, A., & Altrock, P. M. (2016). The cancer stem cell fraction in hierarchically organized tumors can be estimated using mathematical modeling and patient-specific treatment trajectories. Cancer research: an official organ of the American Association for Cancer Research, 76(7). doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-15-2069.


Cite as: https://hdl.handle.net/11858/00-001M-0000-0027-F761-F
Abstract
Cancers arise as a result of genetic and epigenetic alterations. These accumulate in cells during the processes of tissue development, homeostasis and repair. Many tumor types are hierarchically organized and driven by a sub-population of cells often called cancer stem cells. Cancer stem cells are uniquely capable of recapitulating the tumor and can be highly resistant to radio- and chemotherapy treatment. We investigate tumor growth patterns from a theoretical standpoint and show how significant changes in pre- and post-therapy tumor dynamics are tied to the dynamics of cancer stem cells. We identify two characteristic growth regimes of a tumor population that can be leveraged to estimate cancer stem cell fractions in vivo using simple linear regression. Our method is a mathematically exact result, parameter free and does not require any microscopic knowledge of the tumor properties. A more accurate quantification of the direct link between the sub-population driving tumor growth and treatment response promises new ways to individualize treatment strategies.