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Publication – Understanding brain tumours

Posted: 31-08-2021

Author: Hamdan Awan

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Outline the paper

Glioblastoma multiforme is one of the most aggressive forms of brain tumour with a very low survival rate. It is therefore very important to understand the science behind the development and growth of this type of tumour.

In this paper our main aim is to understand how the communication between brain cells can play a role in the growth of brain tumours. In particular we study how different communication properties impact the growth structure of tumours. The overall aim with this study is to use this work as basis for future work to develop new therapeutic mechanisms to treat GBM Tumour.

Fig. 1: Grade IV U87 Malignant Glioma Cells in culture. Red arrows represent Grow (Glioblastoma stem cells, GSCs). Green arrows represent Go (invasive Glioma Cells, GCs). Yellow arrows represent GSCs in transition to invasive GCs. Scale bar = 200 µ m

In this paper we consider the influence of intercellular communication on the development and progression of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM), a grade IV malignant glioma which is defined by an interplay Grow i.e. self renewal and Go i.e. invasiveness potential of multiple malignant glioma stem cells. In particular we use information theory to study different properties associated with this communication model to show that the growth of GBM in a particular direction (node to stem) is related to an increase in mutual information.

Fig. 2: Evolution of Go and Grow based node-stem structure of GSC cells leading to GBM growth.

Who will it help?

GBM is highly resistive to therapeutic techniques such as chemotherapy resulting in near universal rate of tumour recurrence. Current neuroscience research fails to fully account for the role of intra and inter cellular communication in the population of neural cells (neural tissue) inside the brain and the corresponding role of GBM to disrupt this function. Recently, an interdisciplinary field of research defined as molecular communications5 (information encoded in molecules), is attracting researchers from the fields of communication engineering and molecular biology to characterise cell signalling using communication theory. However, the therapeutic role of this communication (to counter GBM) in neural cells is still under-exploited. Computing through molecular communications model provides a new hope to create better alternatives (based on controlling the inter-cellular signalling dynamics) for therapeutics of GBM.

What is the future of this research?

The main aim of this paper is to use the experimental results and simulation data to further develop the mathematical model to account for the role of molecular computing through intra and inter cellular molecular communication. In particular we will use the simulation platform developed in this work to obtain data corresponding to mathematical model for GBM therapeutic effect. We will also analyse the in-vitro data obtained from experiments conducted by the collaborator and match the data from both sources. This will help the collaborator to further refine the experiments through change of relevant parameters such as concentration of molecules etc to obtain optimal reduction in GBM growth.

The output of this paper in general and the overall Gladiator project is expected to create new collaborative projects with industrial and academic leaders working in this inter-disciplinary area. In the future the findings of the project will be presented to different Organ-on- chip SMEs based in Ireland which can use the produced simulation platform to develop new therapeutic techniques for neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally in future the outcome of this research may benefit Irish pharma industry towards development of novel therapeutics targeting various diseases.

Publication Title: Analysis of Molecular Communications on the Growth Structure of Glioblastoma Multiforme
Authors: Hamdan Awan, Andreani Odeyssos, Niovi Nicoulaou, Sasitharan Balasubramaniam
Publication Date: Dec 2021
Journal: IEEE GLOBECOM CONFERENCE 2021
Link to publication: https://arxiv.org/abs/2104.14954