From the evolution of toxin resistance to virtual clinical trials: the role of mathematical models in oncology.

Sustainable delivery of quality healthcare at affordable cost is a major challenge, especially in oncology. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, researchers can provide new insights into familiar concepts and radically change the ways in which biopharmaceutical and medical studies are conducted and translated into clinical practice. One interdisciplinary approach is 'Virtual R&D', that is, biomedical research and development aided by mathematical models of the human body. This approach has facilitated the development of the 'virtual patient', a clinically validated modeling system that accurately predicts efficacy and toxicity of various oncology drug combinations in individuals and in populations. The use of virtual patients in clinical research will dramatically shorten the period of development of new drugs. Such models can also be used to personalize treatment regimens, substantially reducing the risk of clinical failure. This strategy can improve the quality of healthcare and reduce costs associated with clinical development.