Fig. 8: Paper summary: the tumour’s spatial architecture determines the ratio of intra- to inter-specific competition, and thereby the response dynamics under adaptive therapy.
From: Spatial structure impacts adaptive therapy by shaping intra-tumoral competition
a The current theory around adaptive therapy postulates that it keeps resistant cells in check by inter-specific competition from sensitive cells, which can be controlled via treatment (9,11; adapted from ref. 32). Here, we show that intra-specific competition within each population is a further important factor. b In addition, our analysis suggests that the more diffusely growing a tumour, the greater the fraction of inter-specific competition. In addition, this may be reflected in faster cycling frequency under intermittent treatment. Going forward, we propose that incorporating knowledge of the tumour’s spatial architecture and resulting competition structure will help to design more effective adaptive therapy strategies.
