Tumor growth in complex, evolving microenvironmental geometries: A diffuse domain approach

• We study tumor growth in complex dynamic domains with elastic, deformable membranes.
• Tumor size and cell–basement membrane (BM) adhesion are positively correlated.
• Tumor size and BM stiffness are negatively correlated during tumor progression.
• Elevated BM stiffness promotes tumor invasion of the stroma.
• We develop an efficient numerical method, independent of space dimension and geometry.

We develop a mathematical model of tumor growth in complex, dynamic microenvironments with active, deformable membranes. Using a diffuse domain approach, the complex domain is captured implicitly using an auxiliary function and the governing equations are appropriately modified, extended and solved in a larger, regular domain. The diffuse domain method enables us to develop an efficient numerical implementation that does not depend on the space dimension or the microenvironmental geometry. We model homotypic cell–cell adhesion and heterotypic cell–basement membrane (BM) adhesion with the latter being implemented via a membrane energy that models cell–BM interactions. We incorporate simple models of elastic forces and the degradation of the BM and ECM by tumor-secreted matrix degrading enzymes. We investigate tumor progression and BM response as a function of cell–BM adhesion and the stiffness of the BM. We find tumor sizes tend to be positively correlated with cell–BM adhesion since increasing cell–BM adhesion results in thinner, more elongated tumors. Prior to invasion of the tumor into the stroma, we find a negative correlation between tumor size and BM stiffness as the elastic restoring forces tend to inhibit tumor growth. In order to model tumor invasion of the stroma, we find it necessary to downregulate cell–BM adhesiveness, which is consistent with experimental observations. A stiff BM promotes invasiveness because at early stages the opening in the BM created by MDE degradation from tumor cells tends to be narrower when the BM is stiffer. This requires invading cells to squeeze through the narrow opening and thus promotes fragmentation that then leads to enhanced growth and invasion. In three dimensions, the opening in the BM was found to increase in size even when the BM is stiff because of pressure induced by growing tumor clusters. A larger opening in the BM can increase the potential for further invasiveness by increasing the possibility that additional tumor cells could invade the stroma.