Blood vessel tortuosity selects against evolution of aggressive tumor cells in confined tissue environments: A modeling approach
Fig 2
Simulations without mutations and with a stable nutrient source result in a stable tissue.
(a) Cell configuration at time t = 3000 MCS, showing pressure as color. Note the lack of any specific pattern in the distribution of intracellular pressure. (b) The number of cells, and intracellular pressure stay relatively constant in the course of the simulations. Cells cover approximately the whole of the tissue (coverage). Data averaged from 10 independent simulation runs. (c) Nutrient distribution in the system happens via diffusion from active blood vessels. The color codes the oxygen concentration in the system at t = 50,000 MCS. (d) Nutrient levels stay constant in the system with abundant glucose, somewhat less oxygen, and no lactate. The absence of lactate indicates that cells in the population remain respiratory.