Mathematical modeling of tumor-immune system interactions: the effect of rituximab on breast cancer immune response
NK cells lyse different tumor cell lines in different ways. The functional response of this lysis seems to follow a Michaelis-Menten function, with the variable being the ratio of NK cells to breast cancer cells, and the parameters depending on the tumor cell line.Abstract
tBregs are a newly discovered subcategory of B regulatory cells, which are generated by breast cancer, resulting in the increase of Tregs and therefore in the death of NK cells. In this study, we use a mathematical and computational approach to investigate the complex interactions between the aforementioned cells as well as CD8$^+$ T cells, CD4$^+$ T cells and B cells. Furthermore, we use data fitting to prove that the functional response regarding the lysis of breast cancer cells by NK cells has a ratio-dependent form. Additionally, we include in our model the concentration of rituximab - a monoclonal antibody that has been suggested as a potential breast cancer therapy - and test its effect, when the standard, as well as experimental dosages, are administered.
Vasilis Tsilidis
PhD Student
My research interests include Mathematical Biology, Dynamical Systems and Artificial Intelligence.