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Updated: Jan 6, 2026
Mitochondria
Morphogens, morphostats, microarchitecture and malignancy
1Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, P.O. Box 19024, M4-B814, Seattle, Washington 98109-1024, USA. jpotter@fhcrc.org
Abstract:
Morphogenetic fields organize tissue morphology in the embryo. By analogy, morphostatic fields maintain normal cell behaviour and normal tissue microarchitecture in the adult. The most prominent feature of cancer is the disruption of tissue microarchitecture. Cancer occurs much more frequently when morphostatic influences fail (metaplasia) or at the junction of two different morphostatic fields. This Review will describe what we know about morphostats and morphostasis, discuss the evidence for the role of disruption of morphostasis in malignancy, and address some testable hypotheses.
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