Article,

Future medicine: from molecular pathways to the collective intelligence of the body

, and .
Trends in Molecular Medicine, 29 (9): 687-710 (Sep 1, 2023)
DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2023.06.007

Abstract

Recent advances in research on diverse kinds of intelligence in non-neural and other unconventional substrates leverage insights from cognitive neuroscience and collective computation to offer a new approach to system-level health: communication and behavior-shaping of the activity of cellular swarms.Regenerative medicine can exploit the native problem-solving of molecular and cellular networks to induce complex organ repair and cancer reprogramming.Bioelectric networks formed by somatic cells offer a highly tractable interface to exploit the collective intelligence of cells and tissues. Preclinical studies, many with FDA-approved drugs, demonstrate applications for birth defects, appendage regeneration, and cancer suppression.Implanted hepatocytes build an ectopic liver exactly tuned to replace lost function, offering the prospect of clinical application for end-stage organ failure, and a vision for further therapies based on inherent cell capabilities.

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