title: Critical Points in Tumorigenesis: A Carcinogen-Initiated Phase Transition Analyzed via Single-Cell Proteomics.
abstract: A kinetic, single-cell proteomic study of chemically induced carcinogenesis is interpreted by treating the single-cell data as fluctuations of an open system transitioning between different steady states. In analogy to a first-order transition, phase coexistence and the loss of degrees of freedom are observed. The transition is detected well before the appearance of the traditional biomarker of the carcinogenic transformation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, MC 127-72, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.|Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, L-4362, Luxembourg.
authors.forename: Suresh Kumar
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Poovathingal
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, MC 127-72, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.|Department of Bio-Medical Sciences, Faculty of Dental Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91120, Israel.
authors.forename: Nataly
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kravchenko-Balasha
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, MC 127-72, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
authors.forename: Young Shik
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemistry, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, 91904, Israel.|Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Raphael David
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Levine
authors.affiliation: Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, MC 127-72, 1200 E. California Blvd, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA.
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Heath
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D063646:Carcinogenesis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology*; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity*; D006801:Humans; D044367:Phase Transition / Q000187:drug effects*; D040901:Proteomics / Q000379:methods*; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens
keywords: carcinogenesis; microfluidics; phase transition; single-cell proteomics; steady state