Fig. 5

Model concept of clonal leukemia. Within the mathematical model normal (white) hematopoietic stem cells compete with leukemic (grey, blue, green) stem cells for niche space (lower, area A, no proliferation) in a stochastic activation/inactivation cycle (repeated changes to the proliferative stage (upper, area Ω). Among the leukemic cells, the green clone (“A”) and the blue clone (“B”) have a higher probability to occupy niche space (indicated by the size of the right vertical arrows) as compared to the other transformed Ba/F3 cells (BcrAbl_bulk indicated by the grey cells) or the host cells (white). The in silico cells are also able to differentiate indicated by the horizontal arrows (top right)