From in vitro to in silico and back again: using biological and mathematical synergy to decipher breast cancer cell motility

Annu Int Conf IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2010:2010:3261-4. doi: 10.1109/IEMBS.2010.5627224.

Abstract

The complexity of biological systems is often prohibitive in testing specific hypotheses from first physical principles. To circumvent these limitations we used biological data to inform a mathematical model of breast cancer cell motility. Using this in silico model we were able to accurately assess the influence of actin cytoskeletal architecture on the motility of a genetically modified breast cancer cell line. Furthermore, using the in silico model revealed a biological phenomenon that has not been previously described in live cell movement. Fusing biology and mathematics as presented here represents a new direction for biomedical research in which advances in each field synergistically drive discoveries in the other.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / physiopathology*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Movement
  • Computer Simulation
  • Cytoskeleton / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Mechanotransduction, Cellular*
  • Models, Biological*
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness / pathology
  • Neoplasm Invasiveness / physiopathology
  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / metabolism*

Substances

  • p38 Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases