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Updated: Sep 4, 2025

Generation of Heterogeneous Drug Gradients Across Cancer Populations on a Microfluidic Evolution Accelerator for Real-Time Observation
Published on: September 19, 2019
From developmental to atavistic bet-hedging: How cancer cells pervert the exploitation of random single-cell
Jean-Pascal Capp1, Frédéric Thomas2
1Toulouse Biotechnology Institute, INSA / University of Toulouse, CNRS, INRAE, Toulouse, France.
Abstract:
Stochastic gene expression plays a leading developmental role through its contribution to cell differentiation. It is also proposed to promote phenotypic diversification in malignant cells. However, it remains unclear if these two forms of cellular bet-hedging are identical or rather display distinct features. Here we argue that bet-hedging phenomena in cancer cells are more similar to those occurring in unicellular organisms than to those of normal metazoan cells. We further propose that the atavistic bet-hedging strategies in cancer originate from a hijacking of the normal developmental bet-hedging of metazoans. Finally, we discuss the constraints that may shape the atavistic bet-hedging strategies of cancer cells.
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