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Updated: Jan 3, 2026

A Genetically Engineered Mouse Model of Sporadic Colorectal Cancer
Published on: July 6, 2017
Rapid evolution and biogeographic spread in a colorectal cancer
Joao M Alves1,2,3, Sonia Prado-López1,2,3, José Manuel Cameselle-Teijeiro4,5
1Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Immunology, University of Vigo, Vigo, Spain.
Abstract:
How and when tumoral clones start spreading to surrounding and distant tissues is currently unclear. Here we leveraged a model-based evolutionary framework to investigate the demographic and biogeographic history of a colorectal cancer. Our analyses strongly support an early monoclonal metastatic colonization, followed by a rapid population expansion at both primary and secondary sites. Moreover, we infer a hematogenous metastatic spread under positive selection, plus the return of some tumoral cells from the liver back to the colon lymph nodes. This study illustrates how sophisticated techniques typical of organismal evolution can provide a detailed, quantitative picture of the complex tumoral dynamics over time and space.
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