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World J Gastroenterol. Mar 7, 2007; 13(9): 1399-1407
Published online Mar 7, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i9.1399
Published online Mar 7, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i9.1399
Towards a multiscale model of colorectal cancer
Ingeborg MM van Leeuwen, Helen M Byrne, Centre for Mathematical Medicine and Biology, School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
Carina M Edwards, Centre for Mathematical Biology, Oxford Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Mathematical Insti-tute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3LB, United Kingdom
Mohammad Ilyas, Division of Pathology, School of Molecular Medical Sciences, Queen’s Medical Centre, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the EPSRC, No. GR/S72023/01
Correspondence to: Helen M Byrne, Professor, Centre for Mathe-matical Medicine and Biology, School of Mathematical Sciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom. helen.byrne@nottingham.ac.uk
Telephone: +44-115-9513852 Fax: +44-115-9513837
Received: December 9, 2006
Revised: January 1, 2007
Accepted: January 11, 2007
Published online: March 7, 2007
Revised: January 1, 2007
Accepted: January 11, 2007
Published online: March 7, 2007
Abstract
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the best characterised cancers, with extensive data documenting the sequential gene mutations that underlie its development. Complementary datasets are also being generated describing changes in protein and RNA expression, tumour biology and clinical outcome. Both the quantity and the variety of information are inexorably increasing and there is now an accompanying need to integrate these highly disparate datasets. In this article we aim to explain why we believe that mathematical modelling represents a natural tool or language with which to integrate these data and, in so doing, to provide insight into CRC.
Keywords: Intestinal epithelium, Crypt fission, APC mutations, Mathematical modelling, Stem cell niche, Wnt signalling