Modeling the Repertoire of True Tumor-Specific MHC I Epitopes in a Human Tumor
Figure 2
Modeling the numbers of accumulating mutations in dividing cells as a function of rates of cell death using a probabilistic model.
Rate of cell death is defined as the fraction of cells dying in each generation. As an example, if a single cell divides into two, and only 1.6 of these two cells survive, the death rate is denoted as 0.4. (a) Number of cell cycles required for a tumor to grow from a single cell to 109 cells (≈1 cm3) as a function of rates of cell death. The higher the death rates, the more times the cells have to divide to create the same size of tumor. Note on the right vertical axis, that the number of accumulating mutations per cell also rises with the number of cell divisions undergone; the numbers are plotted with an assumed mutation rate of 5×10−9 per bp per cell division cycle. (b) The region of (a) denoting death rates between 0.8 and 1 is magnified; death rates between 0.8 and 1 represent the most realistic scenario for a tumor growing in vivo. Note that the vertical axis is plotted on a logarithmic scale.