Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 19, 2026
08:11
Measuring Growth and Gene Expression Dynamics of Tumor-Targeted S. Typhimurium Bacteria
Published on: July 6, 2013
Quantifying local malignant adaptation in tissue-specific evolutionary trajectories by harnessing cancer's
Natsuki Tokutomi1, Caroline Moyret-Lalle2, Alain Puisieux2
1Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences The University of Tokyo Tokyo Japan.
Evolutionary Applications
|May 14, 2019
Summary
Cancer evolution involves distinct genetic changes, yet follows repeatable patterns. Understanding local malignant adaptation (LMA) helps predict tumor progression and identify key genetic drivers.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Genomics
- Cancer research
Background:
- Cancer arises from distinct genetic alterations, even in similar patient profiles.
- Tumorigenesis involves complex evolutionary processes.
- Understanding cancer evolution is key to predicting progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- Reconstruct tumor initiation's evolutionary process using cancer genome data.
- Develop a framework to score local malignant adaptation (LMA) of genetic clones.
- Investigate system-level evolutionary properties of cancer.
Main Methods:
- Analyzed 2,742 cancer genomes from nine tumor types.
- Developed a framework based on cancer development repeatability to score LMA.
- Utilized network analyses for system-level evolutionary properties.
Main Results:
- Premalignant lesions show local adaptation but not full cancerous transformation.
- Metastatic clones are more adapted to the origin site than invaded tissue.
- Different tumor types exhibit distinct malignant progression dynamics.
Conclusions:
- Cancer development repeatability can predict tumor trajectories.
- Occurrence-based methods can model cancer initiation and progression.
- LMA framework aids in evaluating genetic clone adaptation and predicting cancer evolution.
Related Concept Videos
02:18Cancer
Cancers arise due to mutations in genes involved in the regulation of cell division, which leads to unrestricted cell proliferation. Modern science and medicine have made great strides in the understanding and treatment of cancer, including eradicating cancer in some patients. However, there is still no cure for cancer. This is largely due to the fact that cancer is a large group of many diseases.
02:21Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell
Cancer arises from mutations in the critical genes that allow healthy cells to escape cell cycle regulation and acquire the ability to proliferate indefinitely. Though originating from a single mutation event in one of the originator cells, cancer progresses when the mutant cell lines continue to gain more and more mutations, and finally, become malignant. For example, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) develops initially as a non-lethal increase in white blood cells, which progressively...
02:07Tumor Progression
Tumor progression is a phenomenon where the pre-formed tumor acquires successive mutations to become clinically more aggressive and malignant. In the 1950s, Foulds first described the stepwise progression of cancer cells through successive stages.
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
Colon cancer is one of the best-documented examples of tumor progression. Early mutation in the APC gene in colon cells causes a small growth on the colon wall called a polyp. With time, this polyp grows into a benign, pre-cancerous tumor. Further...
02:53Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
02:21Cancers Originate from Somatic Mutations in a Single Cell
Cancer arises from mutations in the critical genes that allow healthy cells to escape cell cycle regulation and acquire the ability to proliferate indefinitely. Though originating from a single mutation event in one of the originator cells, cancer progresses when the mutant cell lines continue to gain more and more mutations, and finally, become malignant. For example, chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) develops initially as a non-lethal increase in white blood cells, which progressively...
02:53Adaptive Mechanisms in Cancer Cells
Cancer cells accumulate genetic changes at an abnormally rapid rate due to the defects in the DNA repair mechanisms. From an evolutionary perspective, such genetic instability is advantageous for cancer development. Mutant cell lines accumulate a series of beneficial mutations that contribute to their progression into cancer.
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...
Some of the advantages that cancer cells have on normal cells include - enhanced ability to divide without terminally differentiating, induce new blood vessel formation,...