Re: ecosystems
Don Mikulecky (mikulecky%VCUVAX.BITNET@letterbox.rl.ac.uk)
Tue, 29 Aug 1995 09:03:26 -0400
>>Tumors are now seen as ecosystems
>
>
>Cancer is explained by the cancellation principle. Cancer cells have
>"forgotten" how to commit suicide (apoptosis), so we get uncontrolled
>growth.
>
>
>Onar.
>
Ah, that it were that simple! Yes, that's involved, but the the forgetting
seems
to be hidden in the signalling patterns between cells. That's why so many
theories
of cancer have come and gone. They look for mechanistic explanations,
"carcinogens"
(genes, viruses, oxidants or other chemicals) but never find a single mechanism.
Apoptosis, programed cell death, and its deregulation seems also to be
involved.
Another example of how the "cancellation principle" is another way of looking at
homeostasis.
Regards,
Don Mikulecky
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