NHE Exchanger NA+/H+
PFK-1 Phosphofructokinase type 1
PGK 3-Phosphoglycerate kinase
PYK Pyruvate kinase
Pi Inorganic phosphate
Pyr Pyruvate
ROS Reactive oxygen species
SNAIL Transcription factor
SP1 Transcription factor
TPI Triose phosphate isomerase1 Why Is Systems Biology So Relevant to Cancer Studies?
General systems theory is about of the scientific exploration of
“wholes” and “wholeness” that, not so long ago, were considered
to be metaphysical notions transcending the boundaries of science.
Novel concepts, methods, and mathematical fields have recently
developed to deal with them. At the same time, the interdisciplinary
nature of concepts, models, and principles applying to “systems”
provides a possible approach toward the unification of science [1].
One of the theoretical foundations of Systems Biology is tightly
associated with the “Modern Systems Theory” which was signifi-
cantly influenced by two Austrian scientists, the biologistPaul
A. Weissand the philosopher and theoretical biologist Ludwig
von Bertalanffy [2]. Toward the end of the 1960s, Bertalanffy
published the concept of a general systems theory, where one of
the key statements can be summarized as the following: “Biology is
autonomous and life itself cannot be reduced to disciplines in physics
or chemistry or to physico-mechanistic relationships. As consequence,
biology needs to be described from a differentiated and methodological
point of view, where integrative and holistic aspects play the key role”.
As a consequence of this view, Bertalanffy postulated theorganismic
biology, describing the entity of biological units as a main feature
that, in its whole, is more than just the sum of all (single) units [2].
Efforts to define Systems Biology through a rational path
toward the integration of multidisciplinary, multi-hierarchical levels
of analysis have been disappointing. As a result, the concept of
“Systems Biology” remains as a somewhat nebulous idea [3].
In 2005, two principal streams can be recognized within Sys-
tems Biology [3]: The Pragmatic Systems Biology and Theoretical
Systems Biology. The first emphasizes the use of large-scale molec-
ular interactions (“omic” approach), aimed at building complex
signaling networks by applying mathematical modeling and thus
showing how cells make decisions based on the “information” that
flows through their networks.126 Sheyla Montero et al.