A model of cancer studied by a computer

Abstract A digital computer has been used to study the reaction of the liver model described earlier ( Sendov & Tsanev, 1968 ) in the case when the functional operon DM is irreversibly blocked. We show that in such a case a cellular system is obtained which exhibits the growth properties of malignant cells: possible latency, growth stimulatory effect of different agents, diversity of the proliferative reaction. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the induction of cancer cells is related to the irreversible blocking of a special functional operon interconnected with the mitotic operons in a regulatory genetic circuit.