In this paper we analyze a mathematical model focusing on key events of the cells invasion process. Global well-possedness and asymptotic behaviour of nonnegative solutions to the corresponding coupled system of three nonlinear partial differential equations are studied.
In this paper, we study the global dynamics of a general reaction-diffusion model based on acid-mediated invasion hypothesis, which is a candidate explanation for the Warburg effect. A key feature of this model is the density-limited tumor diffusion term for tumor cells, which might give rise to the degeneracy of the parabolic equation. Our theoretical results characterize the effects of acid resistance and mutual competition of healthy cells and tumor cells on tumor progression in the long term, i.e., whether the healthy cells and tumor cells coexist or the tumor cells prevail after tumor inv…
We present and analyze new multi-species phase-field mathematical models of tumor growth and ECM invasion. The local and nonlocal mathematical models describe the evolution of volume fractions of tumor cells, viable cells (proliferative and hypoxic cells), necrotic cells, and the evolution of MDE and ECM, together with chemotaxis, haptotaxis, apoptosis, nutrient distribution, and cell-to-matrix adhesion. We provide a rigorous proof of the existence of solutions of the coupled system with gradient-based and adhesion-based haptotaxis effects. In addition, we discuss finite element discretization…
Cell proliferation is typically incorporated into stochastic mathematical models of cell migration by assuming that cell divisions occur after an exponentially distributed waiting time. Experimental observations, however, show that this assumption is often far from the real cell cycle time distribution (CCTD). Recent studies have suggested an alternative approach to modelling cell proliferation based on a multi-stage representation of the CCTD. In order to validate and parametrise these models, it is important to connect them to experimentally measurable quantities. In this paper we investigat…
We consider a model for the dynamics of growing cell populations with heterogeneous mobility and proliferation rate. The cell phenotypic state is described by a continuous structuring variable and the evolution of the local cell population density function (i.e. the cell phenotypic distribution at each spatial position) is governed by a non-local advection-reaction-diffusion equation. We report on the results of numerical simulations showing that, in the case where the cell mobility is bounded, compactly supported travelling fronts emerge. More mobile phenotypic variants occupy the front edge,…
We consider a continuum mechanical model for the migration of multiple cell populations through parts of tissue separated by thin membranes. In this model, cells belonging to different populations may be characterised by different proliferative abilities and mobility, which may vary from part to part of the tissue, as well as by different invasion potentials within the membranes. The original transmission problem, consisting of a set of mass balance equations for the volume fraction of cells of every population complemented with continuity of stresses and mass flux across the surfaces of the m…
We provide a short review of existing models with multiple taxis performed by (at least) one species and consider a new mathematical model for tumor invasion featuring two mutually exclusive cell phenotypes (migrating and proliferating). The migrating cells perform nonlinear diffusion and two types of taxis in response to non-diffusing cues: away from proliferating cells and up the gradient of surrounding tissue. Transitions between the two cell subpopulations are influenced by subcellular (receptor binding) dynamics, thus conferring the setting a multiscale character. We prove global existenc…
We propose a novel approach to modeling cell migration in an anisotropic environment with biochemical heterogeneity and interspecies interactions, using as a paradigm glioma invasion in brain tissue under the influence of hypoxia-triggered angiogenesis. The multiscale procedure links single-cell and mesoscopic dynamics with population level behavior, leading on the macroscopic scale to flux-limited glioma diffusion and multiple taxis. We verify the non-negativity of regular solutions (provided they exist) to the obtained macroscopic PDE-ODE system and perform numerical simulations to illustrat…
This paper investigates the large time behaviour of a three species reaction-diffusion system, modelling the spatial invasion of two predators feeding on a single prey species. In addition to the competition for food, the two predators exhibit competitive interactions and under some parameter conditions ($μ>0$), they can also be considered as two mutants. When mutations occur in the predator populations, the spatial spread of invasion takes place at a definite speed, identical for both mutants. When the two predators are not coupled through mutation, the spreading behaviour exhibits a more com…
Estimates on the asymptotic behaviour of solution to linear integro-differential equations are fundamental in understanding the dynamics occuring in many nonlocal evolution problems. They are usually derived by using precise decay estimates on the heat kernel of the considered diffusion process. In this note, we show that for some generic jump diffusion and particular initial data, one can derive a lower bound of the asymptotic behaviour of the solution using a simple PDE argument. This is viewed as an independant preliminary brick to study invasion phenomena in nonlinear reaction diffusion pr…
We consider an age-size structured cell population model based on the cell cycle length. The model is described by a first order partial differential equation with initial-boundary conditions. Using the theory of semigroups of positive operators we establish new criteria for an asynchronous exponential growth of solutions to such equations. We discuss the question of exponential size growth of cells. We study in detail a constant size growth model and a model with target size division. We also present versions of the model when the population is heterogeneous.
We provide a review of recent advancements in nonlocal continuous models for migration, mainly from the perspective of its involvement in embryonal development and cancer invasion. Particular emphasis is placed on spatial nonlocality occurring in advection terms, used to characterise a cell's motility bias according to its interactions with other cellular and acellular components in its vicinity (e.g., cell-cell and cell-tissue adhesions, nonlocal chemotaxis), but we also shortly address spatially nonlocal source terms. Following a brief introduction and motivation, we give a systematic classi…