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Modeling and Applications Group

(ModApp)

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Vision, Mission, Goals

Vision: The ModApp Group shall be a leading force in the performance and promotion of research on the use of mathematics in the natural sciences, social sciences, engineering and other disciplines.

 

Mission: As an academic group of the Institute of Mathematics, ModApp shall study mathematical models in the life and physical sciences, explore areas and create venues for the interdisciplinary use of mathematics in the natural sciences, social sciences, engineering, and other disciplines, and offer courses and services in promotion thereof.

 

Goals: to study and do research on mathematical models in the life and physical sciences from which can be gained insights on trends, causes and effects, solvability, stability, and, whenever possible, predictability; to initiate research collaborations with the natural and social sciences, engineering, and other disciplines; to participate in the discussion of public concerns that may benefit from ModApp expertise.

Research

ModApp is actively working on three research domains: (1) modeling biological systems; (2) chemical reaction network theory; and (3) applications of optimal control theory to biological models. 

Latest Publications

Optimal strategies of oncolytic virus-bortezomib therapy via the apoptotic, necroptotic, and oncolysis signaling network

Lee D,  de los Reyes V  AA, Kim Y
Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering, 21(3): 3876-3909 (2024)

Bortezomib and oncolytic virotherapy are two emerging targeted cancer therapies. Bortezomib, a proteasome inhibitor, disrupts protein degradation in cells, leading to the accumulation of unfolded proteins that induce apoptosis. On the other hand, virotherapy uses genetically modified oncolytic viruses (OVs) to infect cancer cells, trigger cell lysis, and activate anti-tumor response. Despite progress in cancer treatment, identifying administration protocols for therapeutic agents remains a significant concern, aiming to strike a balance between efficacy, minimizing toxicity, and administrative costs. In this work, optimal control theory was employed to design a cost-effective and efficient co-administration protocols for bortezomib and OVs that could significantly diminish the population of cancer cells via the cell death program with the NFkB-BAX-RIP1 signaling network. Both linear and quadratic control strategies were explored to obtain practical treatment approaches by adapting necroptosis protocols to efficient cell death programs. Our findings demonstrated that a combination therapy commencing with the administration of OVs followed by bortezomib infusions yields an effective tumor-killing outcome. These results could provide valuable guidance for the development of clinical administration protocols in cancer treatment.

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