Mathematical and Computational Model for Self-organized Collective Invasion of Breast Cancer Organoids
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The growth and invasion of cancer is a very complex process that involves biochemical and mechanical interactions. This study focuses on addressing the physical mechanism of collective invasion, specifically the mechanical feedback between breast cancer cells on the surrounding extracellular matrix. The main goal of this work has been to develop a mathematical theory that explains the emergence of invasive phenotype and the collective invasion mechanism as a self-organized pattern formation resulting from mechano-biological instability. This theory is based on the unexpected behavior seen in experimental observations of breast cancer organoids growing and invading a collagen-like gel, driven by fast and mechanosensitive matrix degradation. To test this theory, a mathematical and computational framework that allows us to study the invasion process has been developed.