Cellular Automaton Model for Immunology of Tumor Growth

Abstract

The stochastic discrete space-time model of an immune response on tumor spreading in a two-dimensional square lattice has been developed. The immunity-tumor interactions are described at the cellular level and then transferred into the setting of cellular automata (CA). The multistate CA model for system, in which all statesoflattice sites, composing of both immune and tumor cells populations, are the functions of the states of the 12 nearest neighbors. The CA model incorporates the essential featuresof the immunity-tumor system. Three regimes of neoplastic evolution including metastatic tumor growth and screen effect by inactive immune cells surrounding a tumor have been predicted.