Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Simulating An Immune Response With A Combined Agent-Based Model Of A Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Tumor And Vascular Network, Michael J. Ventoso

Senior Projects Fall 2019

Cytotoxic T-cells (CTLs) are one mechanism the immune system employs to eliminate cancer cells. In this study, I expand upon a previous 3-dimmensional agent-based model of triple-negative breast cancer to include a therapy simulating an immune response in the form of a CTL insertion into the tumor. The model consists of the tumor, comprised of progenitor cells, cancer stem cells, and tumor-associated macrophages, as well as an expanding vascular network. I investigate the effects of inserting different amounts of CTLs into the space, and their effect on tumor size in the short and longer terms. The results show that while …