A mathematical model of macrophage-driven resistance in tumors

In this work, we propose a mathematical model to explore the spatiotemporal dynamics underlying treatment-induced reorganization of the tumor microenvironment. Motivated by the observation that macrophages contribute to acquired resistance to chemotherapy, the model integrates cell-drug and cell-cell interactions to investigate how local feedbacks can generate protective spatial structures. Analytical and numerical analyses reveal that macrophage-mediated protection does not arise solely from biochemical drug degradation, but is reinforced by the emergence of self-organized chemoprotective niches.