A non-equilibrium thermodynamic approach to symmetry breaking in cancer

Autori

  • Umberto Lucia Politecnico di Torino
  • Giulia Grisolia Politecnico di Torino
  • Thomas S. Deisboeck Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1478/AAPP.991A1

Parole chiave:

Cancer, Symmetry breaking, Non-equilibrium thermodynamics, Onsager's reciprocal relations, Irreversibility.

Abstract

This paper develops a non-equilibrium thermodynamics approach to oncogenesis, with a particular focus on ‘symmetry breaking’. The Onsager phenomenological coefficients are introduced to show the biophysical and thermophysical properties of cellular systems with differences between normal and cancerous cells. Seebeck- and Peltier-like effects are introduced to simplify the description of heat exchange and ion fluxes, in an effort to characterize the distinct role of the cellular electric membrane potential. Our result indicate that oncogenesis leads to changes in: (i) the thermophysical properties of the cell cytoplasm, caused by differences in density and heat capacity, (ii) the interactions with the micro-environment, (iii) geometrical characteristics, both in fractal dimensions and in shape symmetry, and (iv) the constitutive properties of membrane fluxes. This presents a unifying biophysics concept for such diverse characteristics, and it may yield new diagnostic and therapeutic opportunities.

Biografie autore

  • Umberto Lucia, Politecnico di Torino
    Dipartimento Energia "Galileo Ferraris", Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino
  • Giulia Grisolia, Politecnico di Torino
    Dipartimento Energia "Galileo Ferraris", Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129 Torino
  • Thomas S. Deisboeck, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School
    Harvard-MIT Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology; Charlestown, MA 02129

Dowloads

Pubblicato

2021-02-01

Fascicolo

V. 99 N. 1 (2021)

Sezione

Articoli

Licenza

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