Evolutionary paradigm in cancer immunology*

Abstract

The dynamical system theory in combination with experimental medical data can serve to improve our understanding of how the immune system works and fights the cancer. Some recent mathematical models (see [1]) try to explain the complex interaction between tumor cells, immune-effector cells and both immunosuppressive and immunostimulating cytokines. In this paper the Kirschner-Panetta system [6] is considered. The objective of the study is to broaden, through evolutionary dynamics, our understanding of the efficiency of adoptive immunotherapy and also shed the light on the phenomena of spontaneous tumor remission.