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arXiv · 1110.6467

Gene Expression Noise Facilitates Adaptation and Drug Resistance Independently of Mutation

Daniel A. Charlebois·Nezar Abdennur·Mads Kaern
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Abstract

We show that the effect of stress on the reproductive fitness of noisy cell populations can be modelled as first-passage time problem, and demonstrate that even relatively short-lived fluctuations in gene expression can ensure long-term survival of a drug-resistant population. We examine how this effect contributes to the development of drug-resistant cancer cells, and demonstrate that permanent immunity can arise independently of mutations.

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Daniel A. Charlebois, Nezar Abdennur, Mads Kaern. 2011-11-16. Gene Expression Noise Facilitates Adaptation and Drug Resistance Independently of Mutation. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.107.218101

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