Short-Range Migration Can Alter Evolutionary Dynamics in Solid Tumors

TL;DR

This study explores how short-range migration and tissue resistance influence evolutionary dynamics in solid tumors, revealing that migration can mask natural selection and reduce genetic diversity.

Contribution

It demonstrates that short-range migration can suppress genetic demixing and conceal natural selection in tumor evolution models.

Findings

Tissue resistance intensifies natural selection and slows genetic drift.

Short-range migration can eliminate genetic demixing.

Migration conceals signals of natural selection.

Abstract

Here, we investigate how competition in the Eden model is affected by short range dispersal and the requirement that site updates occur only after several updates of the same site have been attempted previously. The latter models the effect of tissue or media resistance to invasion. We found that the existence of tissue intensifies 'Natural Selection' and de-accelerating 'Genetic Drift', both to a limited extent. More interestingly, our results show that short-range migration can eliminate Genetic demixing and conceal Natural Selection.