Mathematical Models for Diagnosing Cell Abnormalities and for Giving Potential Prognosis

Dr. Huseyin Coskun

Department of Mathematics
The Ohio State University

1 March 2012
205 Shelby Center
2:30 (Refreshements at 2:00)

Abstract

Cell motility is a vital phenomenon in almost all living organisms. Abnormalities related to cell motility are often times the manifestation of a variety of diseases. An increase in the motility of tumor cells, for example, may be associated with cancer aggressiveness and metastasis. Identification of cell pathologies is analogous to the physical examination of patients, to diagnose possible etiologic factors behind their pathologies. Behavioral or conformal changes of a cell naturally bear information about the underlying mechanisms that generate such changes. Reading cell motion, that is, understanding these biophysical and mechano-chemical processes is, therefore, of paramount importance. Our novel mathematical methods are designed, first time in the literature, to translate the abstract theoretical knowledge of cell motion into practical clinical data that can be used for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment at cellular level.