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Related Concept Videos

The Tumor Microenvironment02:17

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
The Tumor Microenvironment02:17

The Tumor Microenvironment

Every normal cell or tissue is embedded in a complex local environment called stroma, consisting of different cell types, a basal membrane, and blood vessels. As normal cells mutate and develop into cancer cells, their local environment also changes to allow cancer progression. The tumor microenvironment (TME) consists of a complex cellular matrix of stromal cells and the developing tumor. The cross-talk between cancer cells and surrounding stromal cells is critical to disrupt normal tissue...
Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity01:25

Mutagenicity and Carcinogenicity

Mutagenicity and carcinogenicity refer to the ability of drugs to cause genetic defects and induce cancer, respectively. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies agents into four groups based on their carcinogenic potential. Group 1 agents are known human carcinogens; group 2A agents are probably carcinogenic to humans; group 3 agents lack data to support their role in carcinogenesis; and group 4 includes agents for which data support that they are not likely to be...
Cancer Prevention02:59

Cancer Prevention

Several factors can increase the risk of cancer in an individual. About 50% of cancer cases can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, eating healthy, and following a modest cancer prevention diet. Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that populations with vegetable and fruit-rich diets have reduced the incidence of cancer. On the other hand, populations who have a diet rich in animal fat, red meat, junk food, or high calories are predisposed to cancer.
Some...
Microenvironments01:22

Microenvironments

Microorganisms inhabit highly localized spaces known as microenvironments, which are defined by distinct physical and chemical characteristics. These include oxygen concentration, pH, temperature, light availability, and nutrient levels. The conditions within a microenvironment can differ markedly from those in the surrounding area and significantly influence microbial growth, metabolism, and community structure.Microenvironments often display sharp physicochemical gradients over small spatial...
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...

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A microenvironmental model of carcinogenesis.

Robert A Gatenby1, Robert J Gillies

  • 1Department of Radiology, University of Arizona, 1501 N Campbell Avenue, Tucson, Arizona 85724, USA. rgatenby@radiology.arizona.edu

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Cancer progression involves overcoming six microenvironmental barriers, with somatic evolution as adaptations. Tumor heterogeneity arises from multiple strategies successfully adapting to the same barrier, providing a framework for understanding cancer development.

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Area of Science:

  • Oncology and Cancer Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Microenvironmental Dynamics

Background:

  • Carcinogenesis involves complex interactions between tumor cells and their microenvironment.
  • Understanding the evolutionary pressures driving cancer progression is crucial for developing effective therapies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To propose a theoretical framework for carcinogenesis based on microenvironmental proliferation barriers.
  • To explain tumor genotypical and phenotypical heterogeneity through an equivalence principle of adaptation.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual modeling of carcinogenesis as a series of adaptive challenges.
  • Analysis of tumor populations adapting to distinct microenvironmental constraints.

Main Results:

  • Identified six distinct microenvironmental proliferation barriers that tumor populations must surmount.
  • Proposed that somatic evolution of invasive cancer is a sequence of phenotypical adaptations to these barriers.
  • Explained tumor heterogeneity by an equivalence principle where diverse strategies can adapt to the same barrier.

Conclusions:

  • Carcinogenesis can be understood as a process of overcoming sequential microenvironmental barriers.
  • The proposed model offers a unified framework for interpreting cancer genotype-phenotype diversity.
  • This framework aids in understanding adaptive strategies employed by tumors to overcome growth constraints.