Nonlinear dynamics in metastasis and drug resistance

Gábor Balázsi (Stony Brook University)

Abstract
Genes can control each other’s activity and form regulatory networks that govern cell behavior. Gene regulatory networks can be modeled by systems of nonlinear differential equations. Analyzing the dynamics of such systems can give insights into cellular attractors and transitions in cell behavior. I will illustrate this with two gene networks: one that controls metastasis and one that controls drug resistance. These results reveal interactions between gene regulatory network dynamics and evolutionary dynamics, with consequences for cancer progression and drug resistance.