2024/07/15 by Rebecca M. Crossley, Crossley, Rebecca M., Jan‐Frederik Pietschmann +3 · 1 citation
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Engineering · Mathematics · #3D Printing in Biomedical Research #Analysis of PDEs (math.AP) #Cellular Mechanics and Interactions #FOS: Mathematics #Mathematical Biology Tumor Growth
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2407.11228
openalex publication_date 2024/07/15 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We study the existence of weak solutions for a model of cell invasion into the extracellular matrix (ECM), which consists of a non-linear partial differential equation for the density of cells, coupled with an ordinary differential equation (ODE) describing the ECM density. The model contains cross-species density-dependent diffusion and proliferation terms that capture the role of the ECM in providing structural support for the cells during invasion while also preventing growth via volume-filling effects. Furthermore, the model includes ECM degradation by the cells. We present an existence result for weak solutions which is based on carefully exploiting the partial gradient flow structure of the problem which allows us to overcome the non-regularising nature of the ODE involved. In addition, we present simulations based on a finite difference scheme that illustrate that the system exhibits travelling wave solutions, and we investigate numerically the asymptotic behaviour as the ECM degradation rate tends to infinity.