Single Cell Mathematical Model Successfully Replicates Key Features of GBM: Go-Or-Grow Is Not Necessary

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a malignant brain tumor that continues to be associated with neurological morbidity and poor survival times. Brain invasion is a fundamental property of malignant glioma cells. The Go-or-Grow (GoG) phenotype proposes that cancer cell motility and proliferation are mutually exclusive. Here, we construct and apply a single glioma cell mathematical model that includes motility and angiogenesis and lacks the GoG phenotype. Simulations replicate key features of GBM including its multilayer structure ( i.e. edema, enhancement, and necrosis), its progression patterns associated with bevacizumab treatment, and replicate the survival times of GBM treated or untreated with bevacizumab. These results suggest that the GoG phenotype is not a necessary property for the formation of the multilayer structure, recurrence patterns, and the poor survival times of patients diagnosed with GBM.