Visual comparison of Falsifiability & Neti Neti

 

Falsifiability & Neti Neti

 

Falsifiability and Neti Neti

In the field of the Science of Philosophy, Karl Popper proposed the theory of Falsifiability. Basically one comes to scientific truths , when theories are proven false, and whatever survives the false theories is taken to be the scientific truth. This is the method of evolution of scientific facts.

This reminds me of the “Neti Neti” method of getting to the subjective from the objective via negating what is being observed, as the “Not I” to what is remaining as the Ï”or Self , which is clearly mapped out in the Advaitic Vedantic text: “Drg Drsya Viveka”. The text title  is loosely translated as illumination by: neti neti of Drsya(what is observed) by the the Drg-the witnessing I/seer . 

  

Targeting Cancer Stem Cells

 Targeting Cancer Stem Cells

From Takahashi and Yamanaka, Cell 2006,   Here, we demonstrate induction of pluripotent stem cells from mouse embryonic or adult fibroblasts by introducing four factors, Oct3/4, Sox2, c-Myc, and Klf4, under ES cell culture conditions. Unexpectedly, Nanog was dispensable. These cells, which we designated iPS (induced pluripotent stem) cells, exhibit the morphology and growth properties of ES cells and express ES cell marker genes. Subcutaneous transplantation of iPS cells into nude mice resulted in tumors containing a variety of tissues from all three germ layers”.”

 

Nude mice are deficient in the the immune system, so they allowed tumor formation by iPS cells and did not attack them. This observation indicated that when mature differentiated cells like fibroblasts which have specific functions, de-differentiate to immature pluripotent stem cells, they magnify the property of self-renewal and skew towards uncontrolled self-proliferation as opposed to differentiation. This indicates that tumor formation could be initiated by de-differentiated cells, where signaling pathway activity regulating self-renewal is amplified. Such cells called cancer stem cells could be exploited as targets for cancer therapy, as these signnaling pathways have basal activity in normal stem cells and are amplified in cancer stem cells. One such signaling pathway is the Wnt-beta catenin signaling pathway which promotes cancer stemness. For example Beta-catenin inhibitors are experimental cancer treatments currently being evaluated in early-phase clinical trials, focusing primarily on agents like tegavivint and FOG-001. There are currently no FDA-approved drugs that directly target the Wnt/β-catenin pathway due to challenges with toxicity and the complexity of cellular adhesion.atenin inhibitors are being tested in clinical trials. So alternate molecules in the cancer stem cell signaling pathways need to be validated as targets for cancer stem cell therapy.