A Systems Characterisation of Protein Signalling Networks, Cellular Heterogeneity, and Adaptive Drug Resistance

There are many differences between cancer patients that cause some to respond well to drug treatments and some to respond poorly. This thesis explored how the differences between patients translate to changes in the complex cellular networks that are targeted by cancer drugs, and how these changes might be associated with drug resistance. We then attempted to generate computational models of specific cell types to see if we could identify cell-type specific drug combinations to effectively inhibit cancerous proliferation and overcome drug resistance.