All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
A new 3D modelling technique has revealed exactly how cancerous cells grow and mutate over time. It is hoped the new insight will help researchers better understand how the disease evolves.
Each colourful bloom represents a host of malignant cells rapidly outgrowing its healthy counterparts. Unlike previous simulations, the model also more accurately captures the shape of a tumour as the rogue cells multiply.
The research underpinning the replication, published in *Nature,*was carried out by a group of researchers from the University of Edinburgh, Harvard University and Johns Hopkins University. Using mathematical algorithms, the study set out to investigate exactly how tumours grow over space and time.
Although the 3D mapping isn't a perfect visualisation of a tumour it offers a big leap forward in allowing experts to chart and understand the complex progress of the disease. It is hoped the technique will enable scientists to study the effectiveness of new drugs, or analyse how some tumours return following treatment.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
