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BIOMAT. MATHEMATICAL MODELS AND METHODS IN BIOLOGY AND
MEDICINE.
In recent years the use of quantitative methods in Biology and
Medicine has considerably increased. In this Programme we intend to
focus on some particular research lines where this type of
techniques shows particularly promising prospects. More precisely,
we shall deal with following issues.
1.- Vasculogenesis.
The vascular system is the first functional system which becomes
fully operational in vertebrates. As a matter of fact, its
functioning is required to ensure nutrients inflow, and waste
disposal, to the developing organs of the embryo. The vascular
system is made up of blood vessels, which are formed according to
two basic mechanisms. The first of these is vasculogenesis, which
gives raise to formation of vessels of different sizes and widths,
starting from isolated precursors (angioblasts), thus yielding the
basic layout of the vascular net of adult organisms. A second
process, termed as angiogenesis, is used to remodel an already pre-existent
vasculature, both in homeostatic and pathological circumstances.
Angiogenesis consistently produces small vessels only, in sharp
contrast with the broad range of sizes attained by vasculogenesis.
Our main interest in this area consists in deriving and analysing
mathematical models of vasculogenesis that provide information about
the time and space scales in the formation of the primordial
vascular net. To this end use will be made of data obtained from
experimental studies conducted on chick embryos.
2.- Models of blood coagulation.
Blood coagulation is a robust security mechanisms of human vascular
system, which in particular prevents bleeding from minor injuries to
occur. Any alteration in its correct performance may thus have
serious consequences. While the biochemical cascade regulating such
process is reasonably well understood by now, nay aspects of the
dynamics of blood coagulation remain to be ascertained as yet. For
instance, our current knowledge about the immunological reaction
appearing in many hemophylia patients upon infusion of coagulating
factors remains incomplete. On the other hand, the mechanisms of
thrombi, or blood clots, formation are only beginning to be
elucidated nowadays. We intend to address precise aspects of the
aforementioned questions. In particular, we are interested in
modelling the pathological immune response often seen in hemophylia
A patients. Of concern will also be a precise description of the
early stages of microthrombi formation in blood, and its subsequent
evolution into pathological situations.
3.- Quantitative aspects of tumour growth.
Tumour diseases are a serious health problem, whose importance is
well known. Among the manifold techniques designed to check these
processes, the design of models that could afford for quantitative,
and reliable, predictions of tumour growth is being increasingly
used during the last years. Examples of such techniques are the
selection of suitable chemotherapy protocols, or the precise
description of the mechanisms that facilitate tumour invasion. Our
goals here include: i) The derivation of theoretical models allowing
to uncover links among the morphological properties of a tumour and
its growth dynamics, ii) The comparison among pathological invasive
processes (as tumour growth) and homeostatic invasive ones (as the
formation of bone tissue starting from a cartilage template), and
iii) The design of optimal chemotherapy and radiotherapy protocols
based in keeping undesired side effects under control. |
