Immune Modulation in the Tumor Microenvironment: Bifurcation Analysis of Cancer-CTL-Monocyte Dynamics

by Eymard Hernandez-Lopez, Russell Milne, and Xiunan Wang.

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Cancer remains a major global health challenge. To understand how tumors grow or are controlled by immunity, we develop a mathematical model describing interactions among cancer cells, cytotoxic T cells, and monocytes. The model captures two key features: monocyte-driven T cell stimulation and a threshold effect whereby very small tumors may fail to establish because of limited resources and immune pressure. By analyzing system dynamics, we identify three outcomes—tumor elimination, stable coexistence, or uncontrolled growth—and show how these depend on parameters that can be modified clinically. This framework helps predict which therapies are most likely to shift the system toward durable tumor control.

Immune Modulation in the Tumor Microenvironment