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Abstract In the context of tumor growth, niches can play an important role in the evolutionary process. In this thesis we will investigate the possible consequences of niches on the allele frequency distribution of mutations which constitutes a fundamental quantity in standard genetics. Somatic mutations in tumor tis- sue are cell–intrinsic properties whose variety constitutes to the intra–tumor heterogeneity. This can result in different phenotypes throughout the disease, that decrease the success of homogeneous therapy strategies. Intra–tumor heterogeneity can change during the outgrowth of a tumor. Here we will describe the dynamics of this evolution with a statistical model including a niche environment and will later investigate the heterogeneity that occurs within the spatial expansion of a tumor. Spatial patterns of allele frequency distributions can teach us about the underlying evolutionary processes and moreover show rules and limitations for the interpretation on cancer sequencing data.

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Nicola Dick, Institute of Biological Physics
Zoom Meeting https://uni-koeln.zoom.us/j/94899304908?pwd=Ymg1cXYxdDdsMEdTcmp3TkUzZEtudz09
Contact: Christa Stitz