Figures
A visual representation of a cancer progression model
The clonal architecture of a tumor results from the processes of cell division, cell death, and mutation. This mechanism gives rise to a mass of genetically distinct populations, leading to intra-tumor heterogeneity. We have designed a fully stochastic tumor evolution model that integrates genotypic inheritance with phenotype driven functional traits. Mutational events are associated with functional capabilities such as altered proliferation, increased mutation rates, limit evasion potential, or enhanced control over shared resources. The model is proven to reproduce observed behaviors, to improve our understanding of the system, and to help in testing predictions. Volpatto et al. 2026
Image Credit: Daniela Volpatto
Citation: (2026) PLoS Computational Biology Issue Image | Vol. 22(6) July 2026. PLoS Comput Biol 22(6): ev22.i06. https://doi.org/10.1371/image.pcbi.v22.i06
Published: July 8, 2026
Copyright: © 2026 . This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
The clonal architecture of a tumor results from the processes of cell division, cell death, and mutation. This mechanism gives rise to a mass of genetically distinct populations, leading to intra-tumor heterogeneity. We have designed a fully stochastic tumor evolution model that integrates genotypic inheritance with phenotype driven functional traits. Mutational events are associated with functional capabilities such as altered proliferation, increased mutation rates, limit evasion potential, or enhanced control over shared resources. The model is proven to reproduce observed behaviors, to improve our understanding of the system, and to help in testing predictions. Volpatto et al. 2026
Image Credit: Daniela Volpatto