Recent research has unveiled molecular-level design principles that allow biological systems to maintain critical molecules within narrow concentration ranges, contributing to robustness and survival. This breakthrough provides a universal framework for understanding robust perfect adaptation (RPA), which has implications for addressing challenges in personalized medicine, such as cancer drug resistance and autoimmune diseases. The study reveals how molecules interact and adapt to changing conditions while sustaining essential properties necessary for life.
Dr. Araujo notes that the research outlines how biological systems like cells and organisms can effectively manage disturbances, a process previously unexplained at the molecular level. It suggests that molecular interactions must perform computations rather than merely transmit signals, employing a form of regulation known as integral control, which differs from engineered systems.
By applying an algebraic algorithm, the researchers demonstrated the presence of molecular network structures capable of adaptation, previously unexplainable by existing methods. This discovery offers a new perspective on biological systems and introduces a framework imposing strict design criteria on complex networks, potentially transforming approaches to significant medical challenges in the life sciences.
Reference: “Universal structures for adaptation in biochemical reaction networks” by Robyn P. Araujo and Lance A. Liotta, Nature Communications, April 2023.
