Pradelli, F. | Search bioRxiv

bioRxiv2026

75 Years of Mathematical Oncology

Constructing a comprehensive overview of any scientific field requires accurate literature selection, yet conventional keyword-based searches are susceptible to false positives. This problem is magnified in growing or interdisciplinary fields such as mathematical modeling in oncology that contain a rich but heterogeneous body of literature. Here, a generalizable, context-enriched artificial intelligence pipeline based on large language models (LLMs) curates large scientific corpora according to a user-defined field: mathematical modeling in oncology (>35k publications). Benchmarking against expert evaluation demonstrates high accuracy (ROC AUC[~]0.95) and agreement with human judgement (correlation[~]0.68), outperforming zero-shot LLM curation Analysis of the curated corpus ([~]14k) suggests that Mathematical Oncology s distinct from either Systems Biology and Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics despite employing overlapping methods. Co-occurring citation network analysis defines nine research clusters focused on a range of applications including drug delivery, optimal control, stochastic modeling, tumor microenvironment, radiation, cancer evolution, and spatial multiscale modeling. Significance StatementA generalizable, context-enriched artificial intelligence pipeline accurately curates large scientific corpora Analysis of the curated dataset applied to the se of mathematics n oncology provides comprehensive view of mathematical modeling in oncology across 140 years, revealing its shift from fundamental cancer biology towards therapeutic modelling.

cancer biology↗

bioRxiv2025

Mathematical Modeling and Simulation of Tumor-Induced Angiogenesis in Retinal Hemangioblastoma

Retinal Hemangioblastoma (RH) is the most frequent manifestation of the von Hippel-Lindau syndrome (VHL), a rare disease associated with the germline mutation of the von Hippel-Lindau protein (pVHL). An emblematic feature of RH is the high vascularity, which is explained by the overexpression of angiogenic factors (AFs) arising from the pVHL impairment. The introduction of Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) allowed observing this feature with exceptional detail. Here, we combine OCTA images and a mechanistic model to investigate tumor growth and vascular development in a patient-specific way. We derived our model from the agreed pathology for RH and focused on the earliest stages of tumor-induced angiogenesis. Our simulations closely resemble the medical images, proving the capability of our model to recapitulate vascular patterning in actual patients. Our results also suggest that angiogenesis in RH occurs upon reaching a critical dimension (around 200 m), followed by the rapid formation of stable vascular networks. These findings open a new perspective on the crucial role of time in antiangiogenic therapy in RH, which has resulted in ineffective control. Indeed, it might be that when RH is diagnosed, angiogenesis is already too advanced to be effectively targeted with any effective means. Moreover, our simulations suggest that vascularization in RH is not a continuous process but an inconstant development with long, stable phases and rapid episodes of vascular sprouting. AUTHOR SUMMARYTumor-induced angiogenesis is a survival strategy commonly exploited by solid tumors to access further nutrients and sustain their growth. The recent introduction of Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) enables scientists and physicians to observe vascular patterning in the retina, non-invasively and with unprecedented detail. Here, we exploit direct observations on a vascular retinal tumor, Retinal Hemangioblastoma (RH), and a mathematical model to investigate the earliest stages of tumor-induced angiogenesis. Our simulations closely match reality and provide critical insights into the role of time in anti-angiogenic therapy for this neoplasm.

bioengineering↗

bioRxiv2023

Patient-specific simulation of Retinal Hemangioblastoma provides new perspectives on the role ofantiangiogenic therapy

Retinal Hemangioblastoma (RH) is the most frequent manifestation of the von Hippel-Lindau syndrome (VHL), a rare disease associated with the germline mutation of the von Hippel-Lindau protein (pVHL). An emblematic feature of RH is the high vascularity, which is easily explained by the overexpression of angiogenic factors (AFs) arising from the pVHL impairment. The introduction of Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) allowed observing this feature with exceptional detail. However, our understanding of RH is limited by the absence of an animal model fully recapitulating the tumor. Here, we exploit a cancer mathematical model as an alternative way to explore RH development and angiogenesis. We derived our model from the agreed pathology for this tumor and compared our results with patient-specific OCTA images. Our simulations closely resemble the medical images, proving the capability of our model to recapitulate RH pathology. Our results also suggest that angiogenesis in RH occurs suddenly when the tumor reaches a critical mass, with full capillary invasion in the order of days. These findings open a new perspective on the critical role of time in antiangiogenic therapy in RH, which has resulted ineffective. Indeed, it might be that when RH is diagnosed, angiogenesis is already too advanced to be effectively targeted with this mean.

cancer biology↗