Cellular Synergetics: Cell-Density Dependent Regulation of Population Dynamics of Mammalian Cells in Vitro

Abstract

Mammalian cell proliferation depends essentially on intercellular interactions, provision of humoral growth regulators, and attachment to the extracellular growth substrate. In order to be able to control and manipulate separately these essential interactions of the cell with its environment, profitable use has been made of culturing mammalian cells in vitro. If the cells are cultured in vitro on a defined and reproducible growth substrate, and fresh medium containing humoral growth factors is supplied sufficiently often, the external environment of the cell population may be approximated as constant. Under these conditions, the population dynamics of the cells in a good approximation may be considered as determined by intercellular interactions [1]. Taking a more general view, the systems considered presently are composed of (largely) identical subunits (the cells), which can exist in different states, the balance of subsystems in these different states being determined by a constant influx of energy (here: of nutrients and growth factors), as well as by effects of specific interactions between the sub-units. Systems of this general nature are encountered in very different fields of physics, chemistry, biology, and sociology [2]. Due to the interactions between subunits, such systems often exhibit quite interesting population dynamics, which in many cases can be described quantitatively by theoretical approaches resembling each other, and are the subject of a new field termed “synergetics” [2]. In this sense, the nonlinear population dynamics studied here and in earlier work [1,3] may be designated as “cellular synergetics”.KeywordsSaturation DensityMedium RenewalNewborn Calf SerumIntercellular InteractionCompetence FactorThese keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.