A Poisson distribution-based general model of cancer rates and a cancer risk-dependent theory of aging
Date
2023
Authors
Yu, W.
Gargett, T.
Du, Z.
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Journal article
Citation
Aging, 2023; 15(17):8537-8551
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Abstract
This article presents a formula for modeling the lifetime incidence of cancer in humans. The formula utilizes a Poisson distribution-based “np” model to predict cancer incidence, with “n” representing the effective number of cell turnover and “p” representing the probability of single-cell transformation. The model accurately predicts the observed incidence of cancer in humans when a reduction in cell turnover due to aging is taken into account. The model also suggests that cancer development is ultimately inevitable. The article proposes a theory of aging based on this concept, called the “np” theory.
According to this theory, an organism maintains its order by balancing cellular entropy through continuous proliferation. However, cellular “information entropy” in the form of accumulated DNA mutations increases irreversibly over time, restricting the total number of cells an organism can generate throughout its lifetime. When cell division slows down and fails to compensate for the increased entropy in the system, aging occurs. Essentially, aging is the phenomenon of running out of predetermined cell resources. Different species have evolved separate strategies to utilize their limited cell resources throughout their life cycle.
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Dissertation Note
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Data source: Supplementary materials, https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.205016
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Copyright 2023 Yu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/)