Simulation of cancer cells

simCancer.m

function [plate cellLocs] = simCancer(sz,pDiv,maxCells)

    directions = [1 0; -1 0; 0 1; 0 -1];    % Possible grid directions

    plate    = zeros(sz);           % Initial state of the plate
    cellLocs = zeros(sz*sz,2);      % (x,y) location of cells


    numCells   = 1;                 % Initial number of cells
    generation = 1;                 % Initial generation

    cellLocs(1,1) = randi(sz);      % Place the first cell
    cellLocs(1,2) = randi(sz);
    plate(cellLocs(1,1),cellLocs(1,2)) = 1;

    f = figure;
    a = axes('Parent',f);
    im = imagesc(plate, 'Parent', a);
    colorbar;
    colormap gray

    % Loop until the number of cells is less than the max possible number

    while (numCells < maxCells)

        fprintf('Generation: %4d, Number of cells: %4d\n',generation,numCells)

        generation = generation + 1;

        for n = 1:numCells

            curLoc = cellLocs(n,:);

            newGen = generation;

            if rand() < pDiv

                while plate(curLoc(1),curLoc(2)) > 0

                    oldGen = plate(curLoc(1),curLoc(2));          % bump the old cell

                    plate(curLoc(1),curLoc(2)) = newGen;          % new cell takes old one's place
                    newGen = oldGen;

                    direction = directions(randi(4),:);           % choose random direction
                    curLoc = mod(curLoc + direction - 1, sz) + 1; % (wrap edges)

                end

                numCells = numCells + 1;
                plate(curLoc(1),curLoc(2)) = oldGen;
                cellLocs(numCells,:) = curLoc;

            end

            if numCells >= maxCells
                break
            end

            set(im, 'CData', plate);
            pause(.0001)

        end

    end

    fprintf('Max number of cells reached in %d generations\n', generation)

end