Viewing cancer as a chaotic ‘information processing system’

IF 16.4 1区化学 Q1 CHEMISTRY, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Accounts of Chemical Research Pub Date : 2024-06-14 DOI:10.1002/sres.3034

M. Tez

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Abstract

The effort to define life encompasses a wide range of disciplines, from biology and physics to spirituality. Traditionally, replies were restricted to specialized specialties, resulting in disjointed solutions. Cancer research has mostly concentrated on genetic and cellular factors. This essay aims to reframe the way we think about cancer by looking at it through the perspective of information processing. It investigates the cybernetic component of life, perceiving it as a unified system of information processing at all scales. Stem cell research reveals their complex heterogeneity and flexibility, which are critical for tissue repair and development. Initially thought to be harmful, chaotic gene expression is now acknowledged to provide cellular flexibility. Using chaos to improve adaptation contrasts with the unpredictability of evolution, showcasing the system's ability to learn and adapt. Creativity, disorder and chaos interact, opening up new avenues for new ideas. This viewpoint opposes the gene‐centric view of cancer and highlights the importance of understanding biological processes beyond genetic reductionism. The essay finishes by pushing for a paradigm change towards seeing cancer as an informational process rather than just a hereditary disease and encouraging a better knowledge of the information processing capabilities of cellular life.

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将癌症视为混乱的 "信息处理系统

为生命下定义的努力涵盖了从生物学、物理学到灵性学等众多学科。传统上，回复仅限于专业领域，导致解决方案脱节。癌症研究大多集中于遗传和细胞因素。本文旨在通过信息处理的视角来重新构建我们对癌症的思考方式。它研究了生命的控制论组成部分，将其视为所有尺度上信息处理的统一系统。干细胞研究揭示了其复杂的异质性和灵活性，这对组织修复和发育至关重要。混乱的基因表达最初被认为是有害的，但现在却被认为能提供细胞的灵活性。利用混沌改善适应性与进化的不可预测性形成鲜明对比，展示了系统的学习和适应能力。创造力、无序和混乱相互作用，为新思路开辟了新途径。这一观点反对以基因为中心的癌症观，强调了超越基因还原论理解生物过程的重要性。文章最后推动范式转变，将癌症视为一种信息过程，而不仅仅是一种遗传性疾病，并鼓励更好地了解细胞生命的信息处理能力。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Accounts of Chemical Research 化学-化学综合

CiteScore

31.40

自引率

1.10%

发文量

312

审稿时长

2 months

期刊介绍： Accounts of Chemical Research presents short, concise and critical articles offering easy-to-read overviews of basic research and applications in all areas of chemistry and biochemistry. These short reviews focus on research from the author’s own laboratory and are designed to teach the reader about a research project. In addition, Accounts of Chemical Research publishes commentaries that give an informed opinion on a current research problem. Special Issues online are devoted to a single topic of unusual activity and significance. Accounts of Chemical Research replaces the traditional article abstract with an article "Conspectus." These entries synopsize the research affording the reader a closer look at the content and significance of an article. Through this provision of a more detailed description of the article contents, the Conspectus enhances the article's discoverability by search engines and the exposure for the research.