Skip to content
Tech News
← Back to articles

Tumour promotion through the lens of evolution

read original get Evolutionary Biology Book → more articles
Why This Matters

This collection of research highlights the importance of understanding tumor evolution, microenvironment influences, and the mechanisms of carcinogenesis, which are crucial for developing targeted therapies and preventive strategies. Recognizing how cancer progresses through clonal selection and promotion can lead to more effective interventions and personalized treatments for patients. These insights also underscore the ongoing need for innovative research to combat cancer's complexity in the tech-driven healthcare landscape.

Key Takeaways

Nowell, P. C. The clonal evolution of tumor cell populations. Science 194, 23–28 (1976).

Hanahan, D. & Weinberg, R. A. Hallmarks of cancer: the next generation. Cell 144, 646–674 (2011).

Bissell, M. J. & Hines, W. C. Why don’t we get more cancer? A proposed role of the microenvironment in restraining cancer progression. Nat. Med. 17, 320–329 (2011).

Greaves, M. & Maley, C. C. Clonal evolution in cancer. Nature 481, 306–313 (2012). This Article noted the significant parallels between clonal selection processes that lead to malignant tumours and the Darwinian processes that shape clonal diversity in response to genetic or environmental influences.

Boveri, T. Zur Frage Der Entstehung Maligner Tumoren (Gustav Fischer, 1914).

Balmain, A. Peto’s paradox revisited: black box vs mechanistic approaches to understanding the roles of mutations and promoting factors in cancer. Eur. J. Epidemiol. 38, 1251–1258 (2023).

Berenblum, I. & Shubik, P. The role of croton oil applications, associated with a single painting of a carcinogen, in tumour induction of the mouse’s skin. Br. J. Cancer 1, 379–382 (1947). This study demonstrated that a single treatment with an established mutagenic carcinogen was sufficient for cancer initiation, when followed by repeated treatment with the tumour-promoting inflammatory agent croton oil, thus establishing the initiation–promotion model of carcinogenesis.

Yuspa, S. H. The pathogenesis of squamous cell cancer: lessons learned from studies of skin carcinogenesis. Cancer Res. 54, 1178–1189 (1994).

Slaga, T. J. Overview of tumor promotion in animals. Environ. Health Perspect. 50, 3–14 (1983).

Boutwell, R. K., Takigawa, M., Verma, A. K. & Ashendel, C. L. Observations on the mechanism of skin tumor promotion by phorbol esters. Princess Takamatsu Symp. 14, 177–193 (1983).

... continue reading