Agent-Based Modelling of Stem Cell Self-organisation in a Niche

It is our belief that modelling the behaviour of stem cells in the adult human body as an agent-based system is the most appropriate way of understanding the process of self-organisation. We have undertaken several case studies where formal and/or computational models of stem cell systems, have been re-developed using an agent-based approach. This paper presents details of one of these case studies where we have used an agent-based approach as opposed to a cellular automata approach. A formalisation of the non-agent and agent-based approach is given, and from the results of this investigation, we aim to demonstrate the advantages of the agent-based approach for developing biologically plausible models with emergent self-organising dynamics. The aim of this paper first to discuss the importance of modelling and simulating stem cells, because of certain experimental limitations, but also to demonstrate that the multi-agent approach to modelling is the most appropriate.