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Related Concept Videos

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells02:53

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells02:53

Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells

Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Cancer02:18

Cancer

Cancers arise due to mutations in genes involved in the regulation of cell division, which leads to unrestricted cell proliferation. Modern science and medicine have made great strides in the understanding and treatment of cancer, including eradicating cancer in some patients. However, there is still no cure for cancer. This is largely due to the fact that cancer is a large group of many diseases.
What is Cancer?02:12

What is Cancer?

Cells and tissues must meticulously coordinate their activities for the normal functioning of the human body. Therefore, they exhibit socially responsible behavior - resting, growing, dividing, differentiating, or dying - for the organism’s benefit. Cancer arises when cells divide uncontrollably and invade other tissues or organs.
Although people have known about cancer for centuries, it was only in 1761 that Giovanni Morgagni of Padua performed a detailed autopsy of patients who died from...
What is Cancer?02:12

What is Cancer?

Cells and tissues must meticulously coordinate their activities for the normal functioning of the human body. Therefore, they exhibit socially responsible behavior - resting, growing, dividing, differentiating, or dying - for the organism’s benefit. Cancer arises when cells divide uncontrollably and invade other tissues or organs.
Although people have known about cancer for centuries, it was only in 1761 that Giovanni Morgagni of Padua performed a detailed autopsy of patients who died from...
Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance02:40

Cancer Stem Cells and Tumor Maintenance

Early diagnosis and treatment can often cure cancer. However, even with treatment, residual cells called cancer stem cells (CSC) might remain, often causing tumor recurrence. These cancer stem cells possess the potential for self-renewal and multi-lineage differentiation and are often responsible for the therapeutic resistance displayed in most cancers.
Cancer stem cells are thought to originate from tissue-specific normal stem cells or progenitor cells. The normal stem cells usually reside in...

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Co-Culture In Vitro Systems to Reproduce the Cancer-Immunity Cycle
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Cancer: a profit-driven biosystem?

Thomas S Deisboeck1

  • 1Complex Biosystems Modeling Laboratory, Harvard-MIT (HST) Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital-East, 2301, Building 149, 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA. deisboec@helix.mgh.harvard.edu

Medical Hypotheses
|April 19, 2008
PubMed
Summary

Solid malignant tumors act like profit-driven systems, expanding surface area for nutrient uptake. Targeting only proliferation may boost recurrence; controlling surface expansion or increasing metabolic costs is key for better tumor control.

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Published on: April 10, 2021

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Systems Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Solid malignant tumors exhibit characteristics of biological systems driven by profit.
  • Tumor expansion strategies focus on increasing nutrient uptake for energetic gain at low metabolic cost.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present a conceptual framework viewing tumors as profit-driven systems.
  • To analyze the role of cancer cell migration in tumor expansion and nutrient acquisition.
  • To evaluate the impact of anti-proliferative therapies on tumor recurrence.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of tumor growth dynamics.
  • Examination of cancer cell migration as a surface expansion mechanism.
  • Theoretical evaluation of therapeutic strategies based on the profit-driven system model.

Main Results:

  • Cancer cell migration maximizes systemic surface expansion while minimizing diffusion distances.
  • Adjuvant anti-proliferative regimens alone may increase the energetic net gain for remaining viable cancer cells, potentially facilitating recurrence.
  • Therapeutic strategies should focus on containing tumor surface expansion and/or increasing metabolic costs.

Conclusions:

  • Viewing tumors as profit-driven systems provides insights into their growth and recurrence.
  • Effective cancer therapies should target tumor surface expansion and metabolic efficiency.
  • A dual approach of limiting nutrient revenue and increasing metabolic cost is proposed for better tumor control.