Physio-mitotic theory and a new concept of leukemia development

Med Hypotheses. 2002 Apr;58(4):251-3. doi: 10.1054/mehy.2001.1341.

Abstract

In the physio-mitotic theory described previously by the authors (10), general mitosis consists of two different types: essential duplication and converted maturation. These two types of mitosis are regulated by mechanisms involving maturation and duplication factors, and each plays a role in the antagonistic histological development of the other.According to this theory, every kind of leukocyte is produced through mitosis in the bone marrow and migrates during cell turnover to the bloodstream. However, in leukemia a highly excessive number of leukocytes and leuko-blastocysts appear in the bloodstream. This excessive amount is greater than the physiological capability of cells in the bone marrow alone. Such an extremely large group of cells would not be produced without being dependent on an extremely high ratio of produced leukocytes to original stem cells. This extremely high ratio may be due to a systematic pathological deterioration of the mitotic maturation ability during the maturation process of the leuko-blastocysts. Consequently, restoration of the deterioration to the original mitotic maturation response of the normal leuko-blastocysts may be an essential event in achieving leukemia eradication, rather than persistent destruction of individual leukemic leukocytes.

MeSH terms

  • Blast Crisis / pathology
  • Blood Cells / pathology
  • Bone Marrow / pathology
  • Cell Differentiation
  • Cell Division
  • Cell Movement
  • Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / pathology*
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cells / pathology
  • Humans
  • Leukemia / etiology*
  • Leukocyte Count
  • Mitosis*
  • Models, Biological*
  • Neoplastic Stem Cells / pathology