Speaker
Description
Colorectal cancer progression is strongly influenced by metabolic signals from the gut microbiome, yet the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In particular, the short-chain fatty acid butyrate - produced by fiber-fermenting gut bacteria - has been shown to inhibit cancer cell proliferation while supporting the growth and function of healthy colonocytes and immune cells. We formulate and analyze a system of non-linear ordinary differential equations that describe key metabolic and immunological interactions between butyrate, colorectal cancer cells and host cell populations. This model is then coupled to a comprehensive carbohydrate digestion model developed by \cite{moorthy2015spatially}. The parameter space is explored through steady-state and sensitivity analyses. Simulation experiments illustrate the emergence of varying dynamical behaviour driven by butyrate availability.
Bibliography
@article{moorthy2015spatially,
title={A spatially continuous model of carbohydrate digestion and transport processes in the colon},
author={Moorthy, Arun S and Brooks, Stephen PJ and Kalmokoff, Martin and Eberl, Hermann J},
journal={PlOS One},
volume={10},
number={12},
pages={e0145309},
year={2015},
publisher={Public Library of Science San Francisco, CA USA}
}
