Fisher Information and the Dynamics of Multicellular Aging

Abstract

Information theory has long been integrated into the study of biological aging, for example in examining the roles of genetic and epigenetic fidelity in cellular and organismal longevity. Here, we introduce a theoretical model that interprets aging in multicellular systems through the lens of Fisher information. Previous theories have suggested that the aging of multicellular organisms is an inevitable consequence of the inherent tension between individual cell reproduction and the homeostasis of the multicellular system. Utilizing concepts from information theory and statistical mechanics, we show that Fisher information parametrizes the dynamics of this tension through non-monotonic behaviour which depends on an optimal balance of competition and cooperation between cells. Moreover, Fisher information suggests that the ability to infer true biological age from a sample evolves through complex dynamics over an organisms lifespan.