Abstract
Evolution by natural selection is the conceptual foundation for nearly every branch of biology and increasingly also for biomedicine and medical research. In cancer biology, evolution explains how populations of cells in tumors change over time. It is a fundamental question whether this evolutionary process is driven primarily by natural selection and adaptation or by other evolutionary processes such as founder effects and drift. In cancer biology, as in organismal evolutionary biology, there is controversy about this question and also about the use of adaptation through natural selection as a guiding framework for research. In this review, we discuss the differences and similarities between evolution among somatic cells versus evolution among organisms. We review what is known about the parameters and rate of evolution in neoplasms, aswell as evidence for adaptation. We conclude that adaptation is a useful framework that accurately explains the defining characteristics of cancer. Further, convergent evolution through natural selection provides the only satisfying explanation both for howa group of diverse pathologies have enough in common to usefully share the descriptive label of “cancer” and for why this convergent condition becomes lifethreatening.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Article number | a029652 |
| Journal | Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine |
| Volume | 7 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Feb 1 2017 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine(all)
- Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
Cite this
Natural selection in cancer biology : From molecular snowflakes to trait hallmarks. / Fortunato, Angelo; Boddy, Amy; Mallo, Diego; Aktipis, C Athena; Maley, Carlo; Pepper, John W.
In: Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine, Vol. 7, No. 2, a029652, 01.02.2017.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Natural selection in cancer biology
T2 - From molecular snowflakes to trait hallmarks
AU - Fortunato, Angelo
AU - Boddy, Amy
AU - Mallo, Diego
AU - Aktipis, C Athena
AU - Maley, Carlo
AU - Pepper, John W.
PY - 2017/2/1
Y1 - 2017/2/1
N2 - Evolution by natural selection is the conceptual foundation for nearly every branch of biology and increasingly also for biomedicine and medical research. In cancer biology, evolution explains how populations of cells in tumors change over time. It is a fundamental question whether this evolutionary process is driven primarily by natural selection and adaptation or by other evolutionary processes such as founder effects and drift. In cancer biology, as in organismal evolutionary biology, there is controversy about this question and also about the use of adaptation through natural selection as a guiding framework for research. In this review, we discuss the differences and similarities between evolution among somatic cells versus evolution among organisms. We review what is known about the parameters and rate of evolution in neoplasms, aswell as evidence for adaptation. We conclude that adaptation is a useful framework that accurately explains the defining characteristics of cancer. Further, convergent evolution through natural selection provides the only satisfying explanation both for howa group of diverse pathologies have enough in common to usefully share the descriptive label of “cancer” and for why this convergent condition becomes lifethreatening.
AB - Evolution by natural selection is the conceptual foundation for nearly every branch of biology and increasingly also for biomedicine and medical research. In cancer biology, evolution explains how populations of cells in tumors change over time. It is a fundamental question whether this evolutionary process is driven primarily by natural selection and adaptation or by other evolutionary processes such as founder effects and drift. In cancer biology, as in organismal evolutionary biology, there is controversy about this question and also about the use of adaptation through natural selection as a guiding framework for research. In this review, we discuss the differences and similarities between evolution among somatic cells versus evolution among organisms. We review what is known about the parameters and rate of evolution in neoplasms, aswell as evidence for adaptation. We conclude that adaptation is a useful framework that accurately explains the defining characteristics of cancer. Further, convergent evolution through natural selection provides the only satisfying explanation both for howa group of diverse pathologies have enough in common to usefully share the descriptive label of “cancer” and for why this convergent condition becomes lifethreatening.
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U2 - 10.1101/cshperspect.a029652
DO - 10.1101/cshperspect.a029652
M3 - Article
C2 - 28148564
AN - SCOPUS:85011554837
VL - 7
JO - Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine
JF - Cold Spring Harbor perspectives in medicine
SN - 2157-1422
IS - 2
M1 - a029652
ER -