Morphogenetic fields in embryogenesis, regeneration, and cancer: Non-local control of complex patterning

Levin, Michael

doi:10.1016/j.biosystems.2012.04.005

Cited by 196 publications

(182 citation statements)

References 272 publications

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“…In developmental biology, morphogenetic fields are discrete regions of developing organisms that function as the major units of development (Levin 2012;Gilbert and Barresi 2016). Since the general fate of their cells is genetically determined, changes in these fields bring about evolutionary changes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ontogenetic saga of a social brain

et al. 2017

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-Queen and worker honeybees differ in a number of life-history traits, including the size of certain brain regions, such as the mushroom bodies (MBs), which are larger in workers. However, during the larval period, the differential feeding offered to queens promotes faster brain development. As a result, members of this caste have larger brains than workers. This developmental process is accompanied by the higher expression of several neurogenic genes. Nonetheless, a caste-specific shift in relative brain growth occurs during the next developmental stage. The suggested molecular underpinnings of this phenomenon are variations in hormonal environments, which may mediate higher cell death rates in the queen's brain than in the workers'. The brain development of this highly eusocial bee is thus a paradoxical case that may represent an evolutionary by-product of the reproductive division of labour in species with female size diphenism.Apis mellifera / honey bee / development / caste / phenotypic plasticity

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ontogenetic saga of a social brain

et al. 2017

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“…Mojica et al [19] examined how unicellular organisms, as well as some specialized eukaryotic cells, evolve through a master plan of transformations under Darwinian natural selection from an initial population of cells simulated as Pickover biomorphs. And Levin [15] used biomorphs as an example of emergence of complex morphology from simple low-level rules. In the rest of the paper we present two modifications of the biomorph algorithm which will expand the class of biomorphs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Biomorphs via modified iterations

Gdawiec¹,

Kotarski²,

Lisowska³

2016

J. Nonlinear Sci. Appl.

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The aim of this paper is to present some modifications of the biomorphs generation algorithm introduced by Pickover in 1986. A biomorph stands for biological morphologies. It is obtained by a modified Julia set generation algorithm. The biomorph algorithm can be used in the creation of diverse and complicated forms resembling invertebrate organisms. In this paper the modifications of the biomorph algorithm in two directions are proposed. The first one uses different types of iterations (Picard, Mann, Ishikawa). The second one uses a sequence of parameters instead of one fixed parameter used in the original biomorph algorithm. Biomorphs generated by the modified algorithm are essentially different in comparison to those obtained by the standard biomorph algorithm, i.e., the algorithm with Picard iteration and one fixed constant.

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“…Bioengineering, inspired by embryology, is now at a point where transforming and creating new tissues from cells is possible. Many active molecules found in cancer are also found in embryos while they develop and it is hoped that in the future, cancer can be re-programmed by chemicals derived from active molecules involved during embryogenesis (Levin, 2012;Mintz and Illmensee, 1975;Schulze, 2012;Spike et al, 2012). Furthermore, it has been suggested that a dynamic change in the interactions between cells and tissues may result in a dysregulation of the body routine.…”

Section: Anomalies and Monstersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rethinking therapeutic strategies in cancer: Wars, fields, anomalies and monsters

Stewart

Rauch

2016

Soc Theory Health

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Rethinking therapeutic strategies in cancer: wars, fields, anomalies and monsters (accepted for publication in Social Theory and Health)In this article, we argue that the excessive focus on cancer as an insidious living defect that needs to be destroyed has obscured the fact that cancer develops inside human beings.Therefore, in order to contribute to debates about new cancer therapies, we argue that it is important to gain a broader understanding of what cancer is and how it might be otherwise.First, in order to reframe the debate, we utilize Pierre Bourdieu's (2004) field analysis in order to gain a stronger understanding of the structure of the (sub)field of cancer research. In doing so, we are able to see that those in a dominant position in the field, with high levels of scientific capital at their disposal, are in the strongest position to determine the type of research that is carried out and, more significantly, how cancer is perceived. Field analysis enables us to gain a greater understanding of the complex interplay between the field of science (and, more specifically, the subfield of cancer research) and broader sources of power. Second, we draw attention to new possible ways of understanding cancer in its evolutionary context. One of the problems facing cancer research is the narrow time frame within which cancer is perceived: the lives of cancer cells are considered from the moment the cells initially change. In contrast, the approach put forward here requires a different way of thinking: we take a longer view and consider cancer as a living entity, with cancer perceived as anomalous rather than abnormal. Third, we theorize the possibility of therapeutic strategies that might involve the redirection (rather than the eradication) of cancer cells. This approach also necessitates new ways of perceiving cancer. 2 Fields, subfields and external forcesBourdieu's notion of field is useful in helping us to understand the complex interplay of forces guiding cancer research.

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Morphogenetic fields in embryogenesis, regeneration, and cancer: Non-local control of complex patterning

Cited by 196 publications

References 272 publications

The ontogenetic saga of a social brain

The ontogenetic saga of a social brain

Biomorphs via modified iterations

Rethinking therapeutic strategies in cancer: Wars, fields, anomalies and monsters

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