Systems Biology (Methods in Molecular Biology)

Chapter 8

Parameters Estimation in Phase-Space Landscape

Reconstruction of Cell Fate: A Systems Biology Approach

Sheyla Montero, Reynaldo Martin, Ricardo Mansilla, Germinal Cocho,

and Jose ́Manuel Nieto-Villar

Abstract

The thermodynamical formalism of irreversible processes offers a theoretical framework appropriate to
explain the complexity observed at the macroscopic level of dynamic systems. In this context, together with
the theory of complex systems and systems biology, the thermodynamical formalism establishes an appro-
priate conceptual framework to address the study of biological systems, in particular cancer.
The Chapter is organized as follows: In Subheading1, an integrative view of these disciplines is offered,
for the characterization of the emergence and evolution of cancer, seen as a self-organized dynamic system
far from the thermodynamic equilibrium. Development of a thermodynamic framework, based on the
entropy production rate, is presented in Subheading2. Subheading3 is dedicated to all tumor growth, as
seen through a “phase transitions” far from equilibrium. Subheading4 is devoted to complexity of cancer
glycolysis. Finally, some concluding remarks are presented in Subheading5.

KeywordsBiological phase transition, Tumor growth, Entropy production rate, Dissipation

function, Metabolic rate, Fractal dimension, Glycolitic oscillations

Abbreviations

ATP Adenosine triphosphate

ATPase ATP-consuming processes

DPG 2-Phosphoglycerate

ENO Enolase

F6P Fructose-6-phosphate

G3P Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate

GAPDH Gliceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

GLUT 1 and 3 Glucose transporters

HIF1 Hypoxia-inducible transcription factor

HK Hexokinase

HPI Hexose phosphate isomerase

Lac Lactate

MCT Monocarboxylate transporter

NADH/NAD+ Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide

Mariano Bizzarri (ed.),Systems Biology, Methods in Molecular Biology, vol. 1702,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-7456-6_8,©Springer Science+Business Media LLC 2018

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