Understanding cell lineages as complex adaptive systems

Cardiac Stem Cells and Mechanisms of Myocardial Regeneration

“…At the boundary of the second and third millennia, the discovery that hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) can acquire cell lineages different from the organ of origin has started a new intriguing scientific revolution (23,178,206,212,253,266,384,392,401,473). The unpredicted behavior of HSCs has surprised and distressed many of us; they disobey the dogma of embryonic specification and with plastic changes undergo unexpected metamorphoses (150,384,438,487,502).…”

Net Work: an interactive artwork designed using an interdisciplinary performative approach

“…A major strand of the research has been an attempt to develop an agentbased model of Theise's theory of stem cell organisation in order to understand how some of the key cell-cell interactions lead to the sophisticated and robust behaviour of adult stem cell systems (Theise and d'Inverno 2003;d'Inverno and Luck 2004). Moreover, the project has been increasingly interested in the possibility that many different types of cells, in the right conditions, might be able to exhibit stem cell behaviour.…”

Implications of ‘postmodern biology' for pathology: the Cell Doctrine

“…28 One approach to considering this seemingly trivial level of engraftment lies in considering whether it is another form of constrained randomness that we have referred to previously in this essay. [30][31][32] Such constrained randomness or quenched disorder is central to the functioning and characteristics of complex adaptive systems. Complex adaptive systems are any group of interacting individuals that fulfill certain behavioral criteria and will therefore self-organize into largescale structures that can adapt to environmental alterations.…”

“…So, for humans, one may consider that embryonic and fetal development and postnatal tissue maintenance and repair may all represent the emergent self-organization of cells. [30][31][32] The mathematical corollaries of complex systems have import for our understanding of the behavior of such biological systems. For example, even with precisely the same starting conditions, the emergent properties of similar systems will be different and unpredictable, even if all the rules governing interactions between individuals are understood.…”

“…[31][32] This means that some organ failures may not be strictly a response to an external insult. Some organ system collapses that are currently classed as idiopathic (eg aplastic anemia) might represent the statistically likely mass extinction of that tissue.…”