Torch, Fall/Winter 2009

26 TORCH | Fall–Winter 2009 organisms to function properly. Cells that behave according to their design work in harmony with one another, communicate with one another, and benefit the organism. The creation is, indeed, very good! Now, let’s contrast this good design with what we see in a cancer cell. The Destruction of Sin In studying the story of the curse God placed on mankind after the Fall, we read of thorns and thistles, pain in childbirth, and ultimately death. If a cell biologist had been God’s instrument for transcribing Genesis, the account would have undoubtedly included cellular mutations. These mistakes in the cell’s DNA result in all kinds of problems: • Destruction of cellular communication, • Division of cells without a signal to do so, • Cell division when nutritional or size requirements have not been met, and • Disabling of the programmed cell death pathway, which allows threatening cells to live. If you examine mutations, you find they are almost universally harmful to an organism. But neo-Darwinism relies on mutations — combined with the force of natural selection acting on these mutations — to produce all of the species we see today from a single common ancestor. In this theory, these combined forces produce organisms of increasing complexity. Contrast this with what we see in cancer, where mutations lead to the loss of normal, good pathways and ultimately harm the organism. Cancer cells divide in defiance of normal constraints. They no longer respond to growth signals or obey cellular checkpoints and are often characterized by DNA abnormalities, small size, and unusual morphology. They do not undergo programmed cell death, nor do they communicate well with the cells around them. When they break off from their tissue of origin, they adhere to other tissue types they normally would not associate with, allowing the cells to metastasize. All of these examples depict good creation corrupted by mutations. If we take a look at immune involvement, we see this even more clearly. Our immune systems were designed to tolerate our own cells, protect us from things that are not “self,” and fight against cells, proteins, and pathogens from outside sources. Immune hormones, produced and secreted into the bloodstream, tell the immune cells what to do and when to do it. Custom-designed responses for viruses, bacteria, and parasites are off- switches that keep our immune systems from overreacting. It is a beautifully integrated system of communication — a good creation. ERAXION / ISTOCKPHOTO