How Cancer Shapes Evolution and How Evolution Shapes Cancer |
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Authors: | Matias Cas��s-Selves James DeGregori |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Department of Immunology, Department of Pediatrics, Program in Molecular Biology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 80045, USA; |
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Abstract: | Evolutionary theories are critical for understanding cancer development at the level of species as well as at the level of
cells and tissues, and for developing effective therapies. Animals have evolved potent tumor-suppressive mechanisms to prevent
cancer development. These mechanisms were initially necessary for the evolution of multi-cellular organisms and became even
more important as animals evolved large bodies and long lives. Indeed, the development and architecture of our tissues were
evolutionarily constrained by the need to limit cancer. Cancer development within an individual is also an evolutionary process,
which in many respects mirrors species evolution. Species evolve by mutation and selection acting on individuals in a population;
tumors evolve by mutation and selection acting on cells in a tissue. The processes of mutation and selection are integral
to the evolution of cancer at every step of multistage carcinogenesis, from tumor genesis to metastasis. Factors associated
with cancer development, such as aging and carcinogens, have been shown to promote cancer evolution by impacting both mutation
and selection processes. While there are therapies that can decimate a cancer cell population, unfortunately cancers can also
evolve resistance to these therapies, leading to the resurgence of treatment-refractory disease. Understanding cancer from
an evolutionary perspective can allow us to appreciate better why cancers predominantly occur in the elderly and why other
conditions, from radiation exposure to smoking, are associated with increased cancers. Importantly, the application of evolutionary
theory to cancer should engender new treatment strategies that could better control this dreaded disease. |
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