Cooperation and competition in the dynamics of tissue architecture during homeostasis and tumorigenesis

TL;DR

This paper reviews how cell-to-cell interactions influence tissue architecture during homeostasis and tumorigenesis, introducing a dynamical network model that uses game theory to explore cellular cooperation and competition.

Contribution

It presents a novel dynamical network model incorporating game theory to analyze tissue architecture evolution and cell interactions during tissue maintenance and cancer development.

Findings

Model can simulate various experimentally observed cell interactions.

Game theory captures cooperative and competitive communication.

Framework applicable to tumorigenesis and tissue homeostasis modeling.

Abstract

The construction of a network of cell-to-cell contacts makes it possible to characterize the patterns and spatial organisation of tissues. Such networks are highly dynamic, depending on the changes of the tissue architecture caused by cell division, death and migration. Local competitive and cooperative cell-to-cell interactions influence the choices cells make. We review the literature on quantitative data of epithelial tissue topology and present a dynamical network model that can be used to explore the evolutionary dynamics of a two dimensional tissue architecture with arbitrary cell-to-cell interactions. In particular, we show that various forms of experimentally observed types of interactions can be modelled using game theory. We discuss a model of cooperative and non-cooperative cell-to-cell communication that can capture the interplay between cellular competition and tissue dynamics. We conclude with an outlook on the possible uses of this approach in modelling tumorigenesis and tissue homeostasis.