Computational Modeling of Cancer Stem Cell Sphere Formation

A number of lab experiments and computational models were performed on cancer stem cell spheroids to gain a better understanding of their growth patterns. The lab experiments looked at cell diameter and cell count of brain tumor cell line U87. The models used mass transfer rate, diffusivity, and concentration to approximate the environment within a tumor spheroid. The knowledge gained from this work will help lay the foundation for future models, experiments, and procedures using tumor spheroids. If these spheroids can be modeled with higher precision, they can be studied and understood more quickly. This will allow them to be grown on a larger scale with a bioreactor which will allow research into cancer treatment and diagnosis to progress.