portrait Directions of Cancer Cell Growth

Which cancer cells grow in the direction of the various growth factor gradients?

Collaborators Andrew Ewald, Andre Levchenko, David Ellison, and Sung hoon Lee are working with 2-D projections of 3-D cancer organoids placed in cultures with growth factor gradients. Empirically, patterns of growth toward a nutrient source are observed with respect to tissue types and growth factor selection. Such patterns stand to implicate how the cluster of cancer cells organize themselves and operate with communal goals. Along with Yifei Sun, we have developed a modeling framework which provides quantification and inference to answers concerning the questions pertaining to cancer cell growth.