The evolutionary cancer genome theory and its reasoning

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Molecular oncology
• Cellular evolution

Background:

• The precise origins of oncogenesis remain elusive, with prior hypotheses lacking a unifying theory.
• Existing theories on cancer development, including embryogenic and genomic models, offer partial explanations but no universal consensus.
• Cancer is often viewed as a biological anomaly, necessitating a re-evaluation of its fundamental nature.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel theory for cancer development based on evolutionary principles.
• To integrate existing cancer hypotheses into a cohesive framework.
• To identify ancient gene networks as the root of oncogenesis.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of unicellular amoebozoan life cycles with cancer progression.
• Investigation of deep homology between cancer and ancestral metazoan, fungal, and amoebozoan lineages.
• Examination of conserved gene networks across metazoans and humans.

Main Results:

• A unicellular system in amoebozoans mirrors the cancer life cycle, suggesting cancer is an evolutionary consequence.
• Deep homology exists between cancer and the ancestral AMF (Amoebozoa, Metazoa, Fungi) clade.
• The roots of oncogenesis are traced to an ancient, conserved gene network predating metazoans.

Conclusions:

• The proposed evolutionary cancer genome theory posits cancer arises from an ancient gene network.
• This theory unifies previous hypotheses and offers a step towards a universal cancer cell theory.
• Potential therapeutic targets include soma-to-germ transitions (epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition) and the cancer germline.