How biological cells including platelets and megakaryocytes decide complex problems fast but risky

Abstract

Mathematical decision processes are accurate but sometimes take very long time or simply do not happen. Decisions in biology happen fast and driven by evolution, optimizing survival chances. This results in stochastic decisions with on average good adaptation to the environment but an inherent risk of individual errors e.g. developing cancer during cell regeneration. We calculate and show in platelets and megakaryocytes how cellular decision processes increases risk for errors and inflammation. Short cut solutions adapted from nature improve computer strategies for protein folding and network decision processes. Complex problems are not always solved in foreseeable time, instead the fast solutions in biology speed up errors everywhere including biochemical aging of blood vessels, misfolded proteins, mis-programmed cells, cancer and heart failure.

Thrombo-inflammation analyzed in a validated seven-layer platelet decision model: cellular decisions are tough problems fast and heuristically solved

“…Expanding upon the ¾ solution previously discussed in relation to platelets, our integrated network analysis demonstrates that heuristics and decision funnels provide a robust framework, ensuring clear and consistent decision-making processes [33]. This framework effectively outlines the cell's primary states, such as the activation and inhibition states observed in platelets.…”

“…This framework effectively outlines the cell's primary states, such as the activation and inhibition states observed in platelets. Nonetheless, we have identified decision nodes that exhibit either distinct clarity or ambiguity in their decision-making [33]. Nodes that are decidedly indecisive tend to oscillate frequently between two distinct states-activation or inhibition-characterizing them as bistable.…”