The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of Cancer: A Review of Mathematical Models of Necrosis and Tumor Cell Diversity
Recent evidence elucidating the relationship between parenchyma cells and otherwise ''healthy'' cells in malignant neoplasms is forcing cancer biologists to expand beyond the genome-centered, ''one-renegade-cell'' theory of cancer. As it becomes more and more...
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AIMS Press
2005-02-01
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| Series: | Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering |
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| Online Access: | https://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/mbe.2005.2.381 |
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| author | John D. Nagy |
| author_facet | John D. Nagy |
| author_sort | John D. Nagy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Recent evidence elucidating the relationship between parenchyma cells and otherwise ''healthy'' cells in malignant neoplasms is forcing cancer biologists to expand beyond the genome-centered, ''one-renegade-cell'' theory of cancer. As it becomes more and more clear that malignant transformation is context dependent, the usefulness of an evolutionary ecology-based theory of malignant neoplasia becomes increasingly clear. This review attempts to synthesize various theoretical structures built by mathematical oncologists into potential explanations of necrosis and cellular diversity, including both total cell diversity within a tumor and cellular pleomorphism within the parenchyma. The role of natural selection in necrosis and pleomorphism is also examined. The major hypotheses suggested as explanations of these phenomena are outlined in the conclusions section of this review. In every case, mathematical oncologists have built potentially valuable models that yield insight into the causes of necrosis, cell diversity and nearly every other aspect of malignancy; most make predictions ultimately testable in the lab or clinic. Unfortunately, these advances have gone largely unexploited by the empirical community. Possible reasons why are considered. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a03d8ba32d5f4b6ea1bf427f1794dd1a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1551-0018 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2005-02-01 |
| publisher | AIMS Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering |
| spelling | doaj-art-a03d8ba32d5f4b6ea1bf427f1794dd1a2025-01-24T01:48:06ZengAIMS PressMathematical Biosciences and Engineering1551-00182005-02-012238141810.3934/mbe.2005.2.381The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of Cancer: A Review of Mathematical Models of Necrosis and Tumor Cell DiversityJohn D. Nagy0Department of Life Sciences, Scottsdale Community College, 9000 E. Chaparral Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85256Recent evidence elucidating the relationship between parenchyma cells and otherwise ''healthy'' cells in malignant neoplasms is forcing cancer biologists to expand beyond the genome-centered, ''one-renegade-cell'' theory of cancer. As it becomes more and more clear that malignant transformation is context dependent, the usefulness of an evolutionary ecology-based theory of malignant neoplasia becomes increasingly clear. This review attempts to synthesize various theoretical structures built by mathematical oncologists into potential explanations of necrosis and cellular diversity, including both total cell diversity within a tumor and cellular pleomorphism within the parenchyma. The role of natural selection in necrosis and pleomorphism is also examined. The major hypotheses suggested as explanations of these phenomena are outlined in the conclusions section of this review. In every case, mathematical oncologists have built potentially valuable models that yield insight into the causes of necrosis, cell diversity and nearly every other aspect of malignancy; most make predictions ultimately testable in the lab or clinic. Unfortunately, these advances have gone largely unexploited by the empirical community. Possible reasons why are considered.https://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/mbe.2005.2.381cancernecrosisreview.mathematical modelsgenetic poly-morphismpleomorphismnatural selection |
| spellingShingle | John D. Nagy The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of Cancer: A Review of Mathematical Models of Necrosis and Tumor Cell Diversity Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering cancer necrosis review. mathematical models genetic poly-morphism pleomorphism natural selection |
| title | The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of Cancer: A Review of Mathematical Models of Necrosis and Tumor Cell Diversity |
| title_full | The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of Cancer: A Review of Mathematical Models of Necrosis and Tumor Cell Diversity |
| title_fullStr | The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of Cancer: A Review of Mathematical Models of Necrosis and Tumor Cell Diversity |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of Cancer: A Review of Mathematical Models of Necrosis and Tumor Cell Diversity |
| title_short | The Ecology and Evolutionary Biology of Cancer: A Review of Mathematical Models of Necrosis and Tumor Cell Diversity |
| title_sort | ecology and evolutionary biology of cancer a review of mathematical models of necrosis and tumor cell diversity |
| topic | cancer necrosis review. mathematical models genetic poly-morphism pleomorphism natural selection |
| url | https://www.aimspress.com/article/doi/10.3934/mbe.2005.2.381 |
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