A structured population model of competition between cancer cells and t cells under immunotherapy

Abstract

How does immunotherapy affect the evolutionary dynamics of cancer cells? Can we enhance the anti-cancer efficacy of T cells by using different types of immune boosters in combination? Bearing these questions in mind, we present a mathematical model of cancer–immune competition under immunotherapy. The model consists of a system of structured equations for the dynamics of cancer cells and activated T cells. Simulations highlight the ability of the model to reproduce the emergence of cancer immunoediting, that is, the well-documented process by which the immune system guides the somatic evolution of tumors by eliminating highly immunogenic cancer cells. Furthermore, numerical results suggest that more effective immunotherapy protocols can be designed by using therapeutic agents that boost T cell proliferation in combination with boosters of immune memory.