Spatial Moran models I. Stochastic tunneling in the neutral case

Abstract

We consider a multistage cancer model in which cells are arranged in a $d$-dimensional integer lattice. Starting with all wild-type cells, we prove results about the distribution of the first time when two neutral mutations have accumulated in some cell in dimensions $d\ge 2$, extending work done by Komarova [Genetics 166 (2004) 1571-1579] for $d=1$.