Researchers at Perm National Research Polytechnic University (PNRPU) have developed a mathematical model that explains the occurrence of cancer and the aging process of cells. The discovery will help in developing new treatments that change the state of cells, rather than destroying them.
Modern biology and medicine have made significant progress in deciphering the genome, but have encountered a key problem in cell development. Scientists did not understand why one cell turns into a neuron, while another divides uncontrollably, forming a tumor. Science focused on analyzing individual proteins and chemical signals, which did not allow understanding how thousands of genes change simultaneously. PNRPU scientists have created a DNA model that for the first time explains the universal physical principle that controls cells and leads to the development of tumors. This opens new horizons in cancer treatment.
According to scientists, cells, having the same set of genes, can perform different functions: turn into neurons, muscle or immune cells. However, the mechanism that ensures organized changes in cells remains unclear. In order for each gene to realize the inherited information, its DNA region must open, breaking hydrogen bonds in certain places. The fate of a cell-to become a nerve, muscle, or cancer cell-depends on the collective change in the state of all DNA regions. Disruption of this order can lead to the formation of tumors or improper cell development.
PNRPU researchers suggested that the synchronicity of changes in thousands of genes is due to the physical properties of the DNA molecule, where any local change is influenced by the overall mechanical stress. This stress can have a physical effect on neighboring genes, facilitating or hindering their opening and coordinating changes in many genes.
The key moment in creating the model was the introduction of three different modes for each DNA region: stable, unstable, and critical. In a stable state, the region is closed, in an unstable state it is ready to switch, and in a critical state it opens, triggering a chain reaction that can change the activity of the entire genome.
The study provided a physical explanation for the nature of oncology. The model suggests that a cancer cell is "stuck" in a state of division due to the lack of open DNA regions, which blocks its normal development. In healthy cells, there are many such regions, which ensures an organized change of states-scientists call this a "cascade of criticality." In cancer, this cascade is disrupted, opening the way for new methods of therapy aimed at "shifting" the internal state of cells.
Understanding the mechanisms of switching states of molecules can change regenerative medicine, making cell reprogramming processes for therapy more manageable and effective.
Read more materials on the topic:
- PNRPU Scientists Create a Mathematical Model Predicting Wound Healing
- Hybrid Therapy for Cancer Treatment Created at MIREA
- Sechenov University Develops Cell-Based Drugs to Fight Cancer
