Scientists at UCL have designed a virtual modelling
technique which can create highly detailed 3D models of individual
cancerous tumours and simulate the delivery of drugs in order to
predict their effectiveness.
In the study, researchers acquired high-resolution images of
surgically-resected tumours and used mathematical modelling to
run detailed computational experiments. This allowed them to
study the transport of blood, biological fluids and drugs, and
their complex interactions with tissue.
Their new technique, named REANIMATE (REAlistic Numerical
Image-based Modelling of biologicAl Tissue substratEs) enables
researchers to visualise and interact with large, 3D, virtual
models of tumour tissue samples and treat them as living
specimens. This will enable scientists to perform complex
computational experiments to generate new insights into how
individual tumours react to specific treatments.
In the study, published in Nature Biomedical Engineering,
researchers used optical imaging of extracted tumour tissue that
had been rendered transparent using a cocktail of chemical
treatments. These can show fine detail such as blood vessel
networks and cell nuclei, which can be seen across entire organs
at very high resolution by using fluorescently-labelled probes
that bind to specific structures.
Joint lead academic Dr Simon Walker-Samuel (UCL Centre for
Advanced Biomedical Imaging) said: “These advances are a truly
interdisciplinary effort and would not be possible without the
combined input of physicists, mathematicians, cancer biologists,
clinicians, imaging specialists and engineers.”
“The new framework has a vast potential impact in helping to
develop new cancer drugs and potentially providing a
cost-effective way to test their efficacy before going to human
trials. It advances the move towards truly personalised medicine,
with the potential aim that one day clinicians might be able to
predetermine the most effective therapeutic plan for each
patient’s unique tumour makeup.”
It is predicted that one in two people in the UK will be
diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, with cancer treatment
expected to cost the NHS £13.2bn by 2021.
The structure of cancer tumours varies widely which makes the
delivery of therapeutic drugs difficult, meaning it is hard to
predict the uptake of a drug by diseased tissue and its
subsequent distribution. This can result in suboptimal dosing and
adverse side effects including increased resistance to treatment
through exposure.
Joint lead academic Dr Rebecca Shipley (Director, UCL Institute
of Healthcare Engineering) said: “REANIMATE uses optical imaging
of surgically extracted tumour samples to generate virtual models
of tumour structure at a microscopic scale. This is the basis for
us to perform mathematical modelling, which also integrates
quantitative MRI images taken before the tumour was extracted.
This is a novel approach that provides an entirely new framework
for therapy prediction in tumours and we are now developing ways
of applying it to images taken from patient biopsies.”
The research was led by Dr Simon Walker-Samuel and Dr Rebecca
Shipley, with UCL Division of Medicine, UCL Mechanical
Engineering and UCL Institute for Healthcare Engineering, in
close collaboration with colleagues and with the support of the
Rosetrees Trust and the Wellcome Trust.
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