UCI scientists use mathematics to study cancer

A team of UC Irvine mathematicians has developed a computer model that produces 3-D simulations of a growing brain cancer. The mathematical model, described in a recently published study in the journal NeuroImage, takes into account several factors such as the cellular environment, characteristics of the tumor cells, and the response of the host brain tissue. The model could potentially be used for disease diagnosis or prognosis, hypothesis testing, and to guide surgery and therapy. Scientists now are working on inputting a more complete set of biological data into the model from tumors growing inside the body, which better represents the condition in patients. Mathematics Professor John Lowengrub led the UCI team, which included Hermann Frieboes, Steven Wise, X. Zheng and Paul Macklin. The research was conducted in collaboration with scientists led by Professor Vittorio Cristini at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston. Cristini used to be a faculty member in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at UCI.